Liberal leadership contender Chrystia Freeland has unveiled a bold housing strategy that would directly tie immigration levels to available housing, aiming to ease Canada’s affordability crisis.
In a 10-point policy document released today, the former finance minister proposes moderating population growth until the housing market stabilizes, a stance that echoes Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s long-standing promise to link immigration targets to housing construction rates.
Freeland’s plan also takes aim at rising development costs, vowing to pressure municipalities into slashing development charges that drive up home prices. Cities that fail to comply would risk losing federal infrastructure funding.
As one of five candidates vying to succeed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Freeland has been rolling out a series of policy proposals in an effort to differentiate herself in the leadership race.
Her latest housing pitch follows a recent proposal from rival candidate Mark Carney, who pledged to boost prefabricated home construction, though without providing specific details on how he would implement the initiative.