EDMONTON — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced $175 million in funding to fast-track more than 5,200 new housing units in Edmonton over the next three years.

Trudeau donned a white hard hat and yellow reflective vest to tour an affordable housing project in Edmonton before holding a news conference with the city’s mayor Amarjeet Sohi and Edmonton MP and cabinet minister Randy Boissonnault.

The money will flow through the federal Housing Accelerator program and be used to eliminate barriers to getting the homes built.

Trudeau says the funds will create more housing options in the city, including more rentals, affordable apartments, and housing near university and college campuses.

Trudeau says over the past decade federal governments under both Liberal and Conservative banners stepped back from helping with housing and must re-engage.

He says building affordable housing has become an intolerable challenge and it’s time to work with municipalities to break down barriers and get the work done.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published February 21, 2024.

The Canadian Press