MEMBERTOU, NOVA SCOTIA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau travelled to Nova Scotia today to announce $13.3 million in funding to fast-track construction of 367 housing units over the next three years.

Trudeau made the announcement from a snow-covered housing development inside the Membertou First Nation, a mostly urban community south of Sydney, the largest city in Cape Breton.

The prime minister said agreements reached with Membertou and the surrounding Cape Breton Regional Municipality could help spur the construction of more than 3,200 homes over the next 10 years.

The money is coming from the federal government’s $4-billion Housing Accelerator Fund, which was announced in March 2023. 

It’s aimed at encouraging municipalities to make changes to bylaws and regulations that will increase housing construction. 

Under the program, Ottawa encourages municipalities to adopt denser zoning rules, speed up approvals for building permits, increase the use of public and underutilized lands, and it provides incentives for non-profit and private homebuilders to develop affordable housing projects.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 22, 2024.

The Canadian Press