Sean Fraser

Federal Housing Minister Sean Fraser said Tuesday he won’t stop working directly with municipalities to build more homes faster — even if that upsets premiers who say Ottawa is engaging in jurisdictional creep. Speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill, Fraser said the federal government’s Housing Accelerator Fund, which gives money to towns and cities that commit to reducing red tape, has seen some early success and eventually will help to facilitate the construction of tens of thousands of new homes. …The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) estimates the country needs to build 3.5 million more housing units by 2030 to meet explosive demand as the country’s population expands, thanks in part to record immigration. Total housing starts numbered about 260,000 units last year, according to CMHC data. That suggests construction will have to meaningfully accelerate to meet the demand for affordable homes.