Good morning, everyone. Thank you, Francesco, for that introduction. You're always such a great advocate for your community here in Vaughan. I want to thank the many mayors who are here who've been partners in helping us unlock housing, Mayor Steven Del Duca, Mayor Frank Scarpitti, and Mayor David West. Thank you guys for being part of this today.

(Applause)

The Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Housing are here with me. Chrystia and Sean, you’ve worked very hard for today’s announcement. Thank you for being here.

And we’ve got great representation from our caucus team as well, Minister Ng Minister Hussen who got us started on this important work on housing, Chad Collins, our national caucus housing chair who's been pushing for smart solutions, and many of his recommendations are part of the plan we're announcing today, along with great members Leah, Majid, Paul, Mani, Toni, and all parts of our great teams here.

But I really want to kick it off by thanking the workers behind me, thanking the folks who are stepping up to be part of solving the housing crisis for all that governments can and should be stepping up.

(Applause)

The work you're doing, and especially the work you're going to be doing over the coming years, is going to be unbelievably important as you build not just homes for Canadians but homes that you're going to be able to see yourselves living in as well. That's an important part of this, that it's not just about building homes and great buildings and apartments to rent. It's about making sure that nurses, construction workers, teachers who work in a given city can also live in that given city, and that's something we're all gathered here today.

I'm really excited about this announcement today because Canadians need homes they can afford. This is one of the most urgent issues that people are facing. Think about the couple who just had their first kid and don't know if they can afford to upgrade from their one bedroom condo, or the student who can pay tuition but can't afford the rent near campus, or someone who can simply no longer afford housing in their community at all. It used to be that the deal was, if you worked hard at a good job, you could afford a home. That doesn't seem the case anymore. Younger generations are worried that they won't have a life that looks like how they grew up, like what their parents and grandparents had. Well, that's not fair.

So, we've been stepping up, putting in the work, talking to Canadians, talking to housing experts, talking to builders, so that we could bring the right solutions that meet the moment. So, today, we are releasing the most comprehensive and ambitious housing plan ever seen in Canada.

(Applause)

It builds on the sizable investments we've made over the years and it goes a lot further. It's a plan to build housing, including for renters, on a scale not seen in generations. We're talking about almost 3.9 million homes by 2031.

(Applause)

It's a plan that, at its heart, is a commitment to affordability. Our goal is that no Canadian pays more than 30% of their income towards their home. It's also a plan to make sure that we don't leave the most vulnerable behind, that we keep building housing for people with low incomes, and that we take action to address homelessness so people never have to resort to living in a tent, and it's a Team Canada approach that provides incentives for provinces, territories, builders, and non-profits to come on board. The math is simple. If we can increase housing supply, we can bring down prices, and we're going to need the know-how, abilities, and determination of workers like the ones here behind me today.

I want to give another shout out to the members of the carpenters’ union, and Jason, thank you for your leadership specifically. A lot of union workers are going to be part of getting this done. You're going to be very, very busy. The construction industry will need reinforcements to get all this work done. So, as part of our plan, we're going to be increasing support for workers in the skilled trades, creating apprenticeship opportunities for the next generation of workers, creating opportunities for young people, and investments to cut red tape for those with foreign credentials.

As part of our plan, we’re going to support construction workers to develop our workforce and to build Canada.

We've made a promise to Canadians that we were going to solve the housing crisis. So, we rolled up our sleeves and we got to work. No ideas were off the table, no stone was left unturned. I'll let Minister Fraser talk through the details but this is a comprehensive and detailed plan. Sean, you and your team have been incredibly thorough in how you've brought this together. This isn't simple slogans. It's not some YouTube video filled with half-baked ideas and inaccuracies. This is a serious plan built after consultation with Canadians, with experts, with builders. It's a plan that's actually going to make a difference in the lives of Canadians, but it will also require provinces and territories to step up and meet the level of ambition that Canadians expect them to. No one order of government can do this on their own. We all have our own levers and our own responsibilities, and Canadians need each and every one of us to step up.

The plan we’re announcing today features a number of measures that will encourage the provinces, territories, and municipalities to work with us to build more housing. The plan makes the math work for builders, so that the work can start more quickly. We’re helping to protect and expand access to co-ops and affordable housing. We’re focusing on new ways of using public lands to build housing, and we’re proposing a number of innovative solutions; we need concrete solutions, and that’s exactly what we’re putting forward today. We all agree that everyone deserves to have an affordable home. Housing gives people the opportunity to kickstart their lives and succeed.

It's not right that housing prices have made cities and a lot of other places out of reach for young people, including millennials and Gen Z. Young people deserve the same freedoms, choices, and opportunities that their parents and grandparents had. We need to make sure we're building a future that is fair for every generation. Today's housing plan is about the next steps we're taking to do just that.