How the feds could push cities to build more homes — with a carrot or stick

From local zoning to community consultations, there are plenty of ways cities are hitting the brakes on residential construction, even as Canada faces a significant housing shortage.

According to the Canadian Home Builders' Association, average municipal approval timelines for housing projects in 2022 spanned from three months to nearly three years, depending on the city.

That's why encouraging municipalities to build more homes, more quickly, is becoming a major focus of federal housing policy, as well as the politics around it.

The $4-billion Housing Accelerator Fund launched in June is a prime example of how the federal government plans to influence change at the municipal level.