Trudeau says feds aren't primarily responsible for housing

Amid rising housing prices and a shortage of housing supply, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said responsibility on the matter lays mostly with the provinces and territories, but experts say the federal government is playing a larger role in shaping housing policy in Canada.

Amid rising housing prices and a shortage of housing supply, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said responsibility on the matter lays mostly with the provinces and territories, but experts say the federal government is playing a larger role in shaping housing policy in Canada.

At a housing announcement in Hamilton on Monday, Trudeau said the issue is mostly provincial jurisdiction.

"I'll be blunt as well — housing isn't a primary federal responsibility. It's not something that we have direct carriage of," he said.

"But it is something that we can and must help with."

Housing has become a major political issue as prices continue to rise. The Canadian Real Estate Association reported earlier this year that the average price of a home in Canada is $716,000.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre attacked Trudeau and his government Tuesday over the increasing cost of housing, saying the federal government is responsible for many policies and institutions that affect housing.

Poilievre has pledged to withhold federal infrastructure funding to municipalities that block housing developments.