The federal government said Thursday it will eliminate the GST on the construction of new rental apartments immediately in an effort to make housing more affordable.

Reporters at the Liberal caucus retreat in London, Ont., were told that the measure is one of a number aimed at bringing down the cost of living that will be announced later in the day.

The announcement will be made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.

The NDP, which has been calling for the federal portion of the GST/HST to be removed from new rental housing, welcomed the move but criticized the Liberals for taking so long to implement it.

These are actions that should have been taken months ago, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said in a media statement.

If they had removed the GST from new affordable rental buildings when we first called for it six months ago, we could have had an entire construction season to get more homes built.

Keep reading on ici.radio-canada.ca