Canada's new Housing Minister Gregor Robertson, a former Vancouver mayor, said the solution to the housing crisis is not to lower prices, but to increase affordable housing. "We have to increase supply, stabilize the market," he said after the first meeting of Mark Carney's new cabinet.

Robertson noted that since the 1990s, the federal government has built almost no affordable housing, which has led to an acute shortage. Now the task is to double the pace of construction, especially in the social and cooperative housing segment.

Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre blamed Robertson for the sharp rise in housing prices in Vancouver during his mayoralty. During this period, the cost of a typical home in the region doubled. However, Robertson noted that similar increases were observed in other cities in Canada.

Prime Minister Carney, defending the appointment, said Robertson's experience is necessary to implement an ambitious plan to solve the housing problem. On social media X, the minister emphasized that he managed to build a record number of affordable housing in Vancouver and make the city a leader in sustainable development.

Recall that in 2023, former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the rise in housing prices should stop, as it prevents young people from building a future in Canadian cities.