LeBlanc: Canada's new government stepping up reforms to improve housing affordability

The government of the new Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, is strengthening urban planning and regulatory reforms to improve housing affordability across the country, Marc LeBlanc, a representative of the Ministry of Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities of Canada, said at WUF13 in Baku, Report informs.

He stated that the Carney government, elected last year, is implementing an ambitious program of local planning reforms aimed at improving housing conditions across Canada.

One of the key tools is the $4.4 billion Housing Accelerator Fund.

"It has already enabled the issuance of permits for approximately 112,000 housing units," LeBlanc noted.

The ministry representative emphasized that the program's unique feature is that funds are not allocated directly to the construction of individual housing units. Instead, they are used by municipalities to implement systemic reforms, including revising zoning regulations and streamlining approval procedures.

He added that, as part of the competitive selection process, municipalities submit their own action plans and commit to implementing reforms, which allows them to tailor measures to local needs and priorities.