Canada's auditor general says many of the living spaces used by Canadian Armed Forces members across several bases are in "poor physical condition'' and ripe for overcrowding -- and one of the locations studied -- hits close to home.
In an audit report released Tuesday morning, (Oct. 21) Karen Hogan looked at living conditions on three Canadian Forces bases: Esquimalt, Gagetown in New Brunswick and Trenton in Ontario.
Her report said the aging base housing is often in a serious state of disrepair, with deteriorating walls, a lack of drinking water. and malfunctioning sewage systems.
The exercise found that 25% of quarters either needed major repairs or did not meet the operational needs of National Defence or the needs of the Canadian Armed Forces members.
It added that the department is not meeting its own spending goals on infrastructure maintenance.
The audit also found the agency does not have enough residential housing units to meet the military's needs, just as the Canadian Armed Forces is looking to add more than 6,000 new members by April 2029.
The military had just 205 residential housing units available in the spring, with 3706 applicants on waiting lists.
Discussion groups with service members also heard from many who were unhappy with a 2024 policy change that gives new recruits priority access to the available residential housing stock.
In a separate report on recruitment, Hogan said the military is not bringing in enough recruits to meet its operational needs - and National Defence doesn't always know why potential recruits ultimately abandon their applications.
Only one out of every 13 Canadians who applied online to join the armed forces over the three year audit period was successfully recruited.
The CAF received 192,000 online applications from 2022 to 2025, but 54% of applicants voluntarily withdrew within two months of applying.
The audit warns future training is in jeopardy due to a training instructor shortage likely caused by "insufficient incentives and a demanding workload,'' combined with persistent equipment shortages.