Ottawa may ‘rein in’ temporary resident numbers as housing concerns intensify, Canada immigration minister says

Immigration Minister Marc Miller says in Ottawa that he’ll be scrutinizing the number of international students and other non-permanent residents coming into Canada as political tension builds around the interplay between housing affordability and immigration.

In an interview airing Sunday on Rosemary Barton Live, Miller said the relationship between housing and immigration is complex, and it was discussed around the cabinet table when it came to setting targets for the number of people coming in to Canada.

“Housing has and continues to be a concern, acutely so now in a post-COVID scenario, with the increase in interest rates, with supply challenges, but also just affordability challenges,” Miller told CBC chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton.

It isn’t immigrants that raised interest rates, but volume is volume and it’s something that we need to look at.”

Canada is facing major challenges around housing affordability. The Conservative opposition has sought to place the blame on the Liberal government by linking government deficits with rising interest rates.

sourse: CBC