Trudeau challenges Canadian mayors to solve housing crisis
The federal government has unveiled the first deal of a new housing accelerator fund.
More than 2,000 new housing units will be built in London, Ontario over the next three years. The city is the first in the country to enter into an agreement with the new National Housing Acceleration Fund. London will receive CA $ 74 million for the housing project.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it was London that was the fastest to respond to the government's call — referring to the CA$ 4 billion federal accelerator program announced back in 2022.
These ambitious plans call for the removal of numerous municipal barriers to accelerated construction. These include, for example, zoning regulations that strictly regulate the types of houses that can be built in certain neighborhoods.
Encouraged by London's example, Trudeau said he is challenging other mayors to "step up their proposals" and "build more houses faster." He also called the municipality's visionary idea to build high-density housing developments without changing zoning visionary. This would allow for four apartments on one lot even in low-density neighborhoods.
The London case and Trudeau's related statements can be interpreted as an active response to the pressures facing Canada's Liberal Party. Its opposition critics have demanded a response to the housing shortage, which has been exacerbated by two years of high inflation.
