OTTAWA - Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland introduced the 2024 federal budget on Tuesday. Some key highlights: Housing In hopes of building nearly 3.9 million new homes across Canada by 2031, the government plans to: increase the capital cost allowance rate for apartments from four to 10 per cent, allowing builders larger tax writeoffs; extend the mortgage amortization period to 30 years for first-time homebuyers purchasing new builds; make more public lands available for home construction, including Canada Post and National Defence properties, and lease land to developers; spend $250 million over two years to address the “urgent issue” of encampments...