Sean Fraser takes over federal housing file as Canadians face affordability crunch

OTTAWA –

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is handing over the federal housing file to Sean Fraser, the Nova Scotia MP who was previously immigration minister.

Trudeau shuffled his cabinet Wednesday in a bid to present a fresh team to lead the Liberals into the next election.

As part of the shakeup, the housing file has been merged with infrastructure, and Fraser becomes the minister responsible for housing, infrastructure and communities.

Ahmed Hussen, who was housing minister since 2021, has faced criticism for his handling of the file as the housing crisis worsened across the country.

Hussen is staying in cabinet as minister of international development.

The federal government is facing considerable pressure to address the lack of affordable homes, which experts say is the result of a housing shortage.

The Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation has warned the country needs to build 3.5 million additional homes — on top of the current pace of building — to restore affordability by 2030.

Carolyn Whitzman, a housing policy expert and adjunct professor at the University of Ottawa, said the decision to combine housing and infrastructure is a good move.

“Housing is infrastructure. It’s essential, as essential as water and sewers and hospitals and schools, for the functioning of a society,” she said.

Whitzman said Fraser is a “fairly effective communicator.”

His experience as immigration minister may also help inform his role in the housing file, she said, as record population growth adds even more pressure to housing demand.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 26, 2023.