Canada is on track to add more newcomers with construction skills than in recent years, an early sign that a targeted immigration program is working — though still not quickly enough to close a massive housing supply gap.

Admissions of permanent residents with trades skills rose 29% from January through March from the average quarterly rate in 2023, according to government data obtained by Bloomberg. If that pace is sustained, Canada will grant residency to some 17,800 skilled construction workers this year.

The increase is solely driven by recent immigration policy changes to bring in more tradespeople to ramp up homebuilding. It’s crucial to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s goal to more than double the pace of construction to add 3.9 million homes by 2031 as he tries to calm housing angst and reverse waning popularity.