The housing crisis is at the forefront of the decline of the Liberal Cabinet in Charlottetown

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to undertake a new mission for his government at a three-day retreat in Charlottetown this week, in an attempt to restore Canadians' sense of economic security and confidence in his government.

The housing affordability crisis will gain new levels of importance for the government, particularly focusing on younger Canadians who have been dominated in their early years by disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic and who even dream of being able to rent their own homes.

A major policy announcement is not expected after the retreat, but ministers will be briefed by national experts on housing and youth in order to guide federal decision-making this fall.

These decisions could include negotiating a national housing agreement. Such an agreement would bring all levels of government to the negotiating table, along with non-profit housing agencies, to build the estimated 5.8 million new homes needed in Canada to restore housing market affordability by 2030.

The retreat comes at a time when Liberal polling numbers continue to decline.

For her part, Susan Smith, a Liberal strategic expert and co-founder of Bluesky Strategy Group, stated that the government must address the reality that the dynamics surrounding Canada's economic situation have changed since the Liberals first took power.

She added, "The economic reality has changed significantly."

Recent polls have shown that the Conservatives have enough support. Meanwhile, the Liberals have an agreement with the New Democratic Party to try to keep the minority Parliament functioning until 2025. While it may not last that long, there is nothing to indicate it will collapse in the coming months.

Particularly concerning for the Liberals is the decline in support among younger Canadians, who voted in almost record numbers when Trudeau and the Liberals secured a majority government in 2015, but have increasingly drifted away from them in recent years.

An online poll conducted by Léger at the end of July revealed that the Liberals are trailing the Conservatives by six percentage points overall, but by more than 10 points among those aged 18 to 34.

While housing is an issue that transcends municipal, provincial, and federal jurisdictions, Polievre blames the housing inequality in Canada on Trudeau’s feet.

In a video posted online last week, Poilievre said that wage growth has not kept pace with housing prices since Trudeau took office.

Statistics Canada data also showed that average weekly earnings across the country have risen by about 26 percent since 2015, while the average price of buying a home has increased by more than 70 percent.

Paul Kershaw, founder and senior researcher at the Generation Squeeze Research Centre at the University of British Columbia, was asked to address the Liberal Cabinet regarding ways to address the economic despair felt by many young people.