I mean governments have various things they can do. Push hard on cities that are blocking construction through obstruction or sloth. Prioritize tradesmen as immigrants. Use the powers of the federal government to create a national vacant unit registry so that lower tiers of government don't have to run vacant unit taxes on the honour system. Allow single-stair multi-unit dwellings. Fund rental construction like they did before Chretien/Martin. Reduce the requirements to get your trade papers (apprenticeships are good but 5 years before your electrician papers seriously???)

It's just that governments would rather argue about bullshit. Ford is focused on the fucking Ontario Place spa. Poilievre and Postmedia are flinging shit about bail reform. The CBC is, as ever, up its own ass about complete obscure nonsense. Trudeau is a fountain of empty nothings, as he has been since he lost Gerry Butts. Jagmeet is talking about the housing issue, but only in ways to throw more money at buyers and renters to juice demand in a supply-side shortage, which is basically subsidizing landlords.