Mr. Speaker, there is a housing crisis in Canada. We agree on that. Too many Canadians are seeing their dream of owning their own home drift further and further out of reach. Families are struggling with the rising cost, and young people are being priced out of the housing market. Communities across the country are being squeezed by a housing system that is simply not working as it should.
I thank my colleague for that long list of current market prices. However, as we promised during the election campaign, and as the measures put forward so far by our new government show, we are going to tackle the housing crisis head-on with focus, determination and innovation.
We are taking action to make housing more affordable for all Canadians. We have eliminated the GST for first-time homebuyers on homes up to $1 million and reduced the GST on homes up to $1.5 million. I thank my opposition colleagues for voting with us on that matter.
We are also cutting taxes for the middle class, saving two-income families up to $840 a year. This will help those looking to save up for their first home. Once again, I thank my colleagues for voting with us on that.
We are not just talking about change; we are delivering it. We are using every tool at our disposal to build homes at a scale and speed not seen in decades, and we are doing so by working in partnership with provinces, territories, indigenous communities, municipalities, and the private and non-profit sectors.
Earlier today, I met with an organization that is working on building modular homes. Over the past few weeks, people have been referring to shipping containers.
Our colleagues across the aisle are referring to modular homes as shipping containers. Maybe that was 50 years ago. This is not the reality anymore.
The “build Canada homes” initiative is a pillar of our plan. It will transform the way homes are built in our country. It will accelerate the construction of affordable homes by streamlining construction timelines, leveraging public land and reducing financial barriers.
This initiative will help nearly double the rate of housing construction, but it will also support investments in modular and prefabricated construction to develop a modern, sustainable housing industry built on Canadian innovation, Canadian businesses, Canadian workers and Canadian materials.
We are not stopping there. We are working with provinces, territories and municipalities to cut development charges in half for all multi-unit buildings.
In addition, the housing accelerator fund is helping us remove barriers to development, build tens of thousands of homes across the country and increase our housing supply. We are building a unified Canadian economy, and we are committed to making housing more affordable and more accessible for all Canadians. That is the promise we made, and we have a plan to deliver on that promise and build Canada strong.