The National Capital Commission shut down 24 Sussex Drive in November 2022. Nearly four years later, the federal government still hasn't decided what happens next.

The NCC is the agency that looks after the Prime Minister's official home. It closed the building on November 17, 2022, saying staff safety and the building's heritage value were at risk. The agency has since called the house in critical condition, with repairs estimated to cost 36.6 million dollars.

Instead of moving back in, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family have been living at Rideau Cottage, a smaller residence on the grounds of Rideau Hall. When Trudeau first became PM in 2015, he said he would wait for renovations before moving in — a decision that turned a temporary fix into a years-long delay. The family remains at Rideau Cottage today, through two different prime ministers.

No Decision Yet, But Planning Continues

The federal government keeps saying the same thing: it is working with the NCC to figure out what to do. Government officials confirmed in writing that the building is still closed for safety, health and heritage reasons, and that planning is underway.

Tobi Nussbaum, who runs the NCC, said in April 2024 that his agency is ready to move as soon as the federal cabinet makes a decision. He has said he is optimistic that more attention is now being paid to the file. The key phrase here: the NCC can plan, but it cannot decide. Only the federal cabinet has that power.

What Could Happen to 24 Sussex

The 36.6-million-dollar number covers fixing the building as it stands. But officials are reportedly looking at other options too: tearing it down and building something new, making it smaller, or opening parts of it to the public. Because the house is protected as a heritage building, any major change would need special approval.

The federal government runs four official residences: one for the Governor General, one for the Prime Minister, one for the Leader of the Opposition, and one for the Speaker of the House. 24 Sussex is the only one that is currently closed. This matters to the decision — it is not just about fixing a house. It is also about what kind of official home the country should provide to its Prime Minister, and how much taxpayers should pay.

The Longer Story

24 Sussex did not fall apart overnight. Its problems were well known before the NCC officially closed it. Over the years, different governments put off spending money on the Prime Minister's residence — it is not a politically popular project, and the cost of major renovations makes headlines. Each year that passed, the building got worse and the repair bill got larger.

There is a harder arithmetic at work now. The estimate of 36.6 million dollars is from 2022. Every month the house sits empty, it deteriorates further. Construction costs keep rising. What would have been an expensive project in 2022 will cost even more in 2026. That simple fact — the bill keeps growing — may end up pushing Ottawa to make a decision, whether politicians want to or not.