New housing minister says immigration can help address affordability, supply – National | 24CA News
Canada’s new housing and infrastructure minister says closing the door to newcomers isn’t the answer to the nation’s housing woes, and has as a substitute endorsed constructing extra properties to accommodate larger immigration flows.
Sean Fraser, who beforehand served as immigration minister, was sworn in Wednesday morning as a part of a Liberal authorities cupboard shuffle aimed toward showcasing a contemporary workforce forward of the subsequent federal election.
He comes into the position at a time when sturdy inhabitants progress via immigration is including strain to housing demand at a time when the nation is combating an affordability disaster.
“The answer is, at least in part, to continue to build more stock,” Fraser instructed reporters after being sworn in.
“But I would urge caution to anyone who believes the answer to our housing challenges is to close the door on newcomers.”
Instead, the minister stated immigration could be a part of the answer to the housing problem.
“When I talked to developers, in my capacity as a minister of immigration before today, one of the chief obstacles to completing the projects that they want to get done is having access to the labour force to build the houses that they need,” he stated.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resolution handy over the federal housing file to the Nova Scotia MP has been praised by specialists who say that the Liberals want a powerful communicator in cost as Canadians cope with an affordability crunch.
As a part of the shakeup, the housing file has been merged with infrastructure and communities. Fraser stated the objective is to take a look at housing and infrastructure initiatives collectively, somewhat than in isolation.
“If we encourage cities and communities to build more housing where infrastructure already exists or where it’s planned to be, we’re going to be able to leverage more progress for every public dollar that’s invested,” he stated.
Ahmed Hussen, who turned housing minister in 2021, has confronted criticism for his dealing with of the file because the housing disaster worsened throughout the nation.
Hussen is staying in cupboard as minister of worldwide improvement.
“The selection of Sean, I think, is a recognition that the job requires fundamentally an energy and urgency and a passion in order to be able to effectively compete with the message that (Conservative Leader) Pierre Poilievre has put forward,” stated Tyler Meredith, a former head of financial technique and planning for Trudeau’s authorities.
Meredith stated the selection to shift Fraser from immigration to housing additionally indicators the federal authorities is aware of the 2 recordsdata are linked.
“If they lose the argument on housing, they will lose the argument on immigration, and they will then lose what is frankly, some of the some of the most effective pieces of their economic strategy,” Meredith stated.
Canada’s inhabitants grew by a couple of million folks in 2022, a tempo that specialists say is including strain to housing demand. That, in flip, pushes up costs even additional.
A latest evaluation by BMO discovered that for each one per cent of inhabitants progress, housing costs usually improve by three per cent.
The Liberals have been taking a variety of warmth from Poilievre for the state of the housing market. He’s blamed Trudeau’s authorities for the disaster, in addition to municipal “gatekeepers” for standing in the way in which of recent developments.
Poilievre has targeted on the necessity to construct extra housing and has not weighed in on whether or not Canada wants to vary the variety of folks it lets into the nation.
The Conservative chief has additionally been notably targeted on chatting with younger folks combating affordability, generally referring to the “35-year-olds still living in their parents’ basements” within the House of Commons.
Fraser, 39, acknowledged throughout the news convention that housing affordability is a serious problem going through youthful Canadians particularly.
“It’s a real challenge for people my age and younger who are trying to get into the market, but it’s also a challenge for low-income families,” Fraser stated.
“There’s no simple solutions, but if we continue to advance measures that help build more stock, that help make sure it’s easier for people to get into the market and make sure we’re offering protections for low-income families, particularly in vulnerable renting situations, we’re going to be able to make a meaningful difference.”
The housing disaster that after was related to Vancouver and Toronto is now affecting all corners of the nation, and specialists say a scarcity of properties is at its root.
The Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation has warned the nation must construct 3.5 million further properties — on prime of the present tempo of constructing — to revive affordability by 2030.
Carolyn Whitzman, a housing coverage knowledgeable and adjunct professor on the University of Ottawa, stated the choice to mix housing and infrastructure is an effective transfer.
“Housing is infrastructure. It’s essential, as essential as water and sewers and hospitals and schools, for the functioning of a society,” she stated.
Whitzman additionally known as Fraser a “fairly effective communicator” and famous his expertise as immigration minister can also assist inform his position within the housing file.
© 2023 The Canadian Press
