Housing Supply Challenge: Round 4 - Building for the Future

About

Housing Affordability Matters 

Everyone in Canada deserves housing they can afford and that meets their needs. Still, many Canadians struggle to find, maintain and afford a place to live, as a lack of supply in cities coupled with significant demand for housing can push prices up.

In 2016, 2.9 M households were spending more than 30% of their gross income on housing. 1.5 M of those households were in core housing need. It is estimated that by 2030, an extra 2.1 M households will need a place to call home.

Why a Housing Supply Challenge?

Challenges are powerful tools to address complex issues where the objective is clear but the path to achieving the objective is not. Given the potential for innovation in the housing system, the Housing Supply Challenge offers an opportunity for innovators to present disruptive solutions that can effect change.

• Complex issue with a clear objective: Canada requires more housing that is affordable, but there is no single solution that can address this need. This Challenge is an opportunity to address a problem that cannot be solved by one organization.


• Local solutions to local issues: The Challenge is an effective medium to spark change from the ground up and mobilize participants to engage with and solve issues in their area.


• Housing supply at the national level: Different rounds of the Challenge can bring housing supply solutions to light that can be scaled up nationally, and others that can be replicated across various municipalities.


• Working together: The Challenge is an opportunity to bring housing sector participants together, empowering collaboration and partnerships.


• New perspectives: The Challenge welcomes new participants to engage with, and provides an environment that encourages and rewards innovation.

Rounds

The Housing Supply Challenge will award up to $300 million in funding through a series of unique challenges on different topics over a five year period. More details will be available when each round launches.

• Round 1 - Data Driven [Applications closed]
• Round 2 - Getting Started: Pre-development Processes [Applications closed]
• Round 3 - Northern Access: Supply Chain Solutions for Northern and Remote Housing [Applications closed]
• Round 4 - Construction Technology [Applications closed]
• Round 5 - Level-Up [Applications closed]

Identified Issues, Trends, and Supply Barriers

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has identified some of the key issues and trends affecting housing supply in Canada, which shaped the development of the various rounds of the Challenge. Consultations with stakeholders and experts improved our understanding of these issues, which include:

• Support for urban densification
• Inefficiencies in construction
• Limited data on land availability and value
• Long approval processes and timelines
• Land availability constraints
• Lack of flexible tenure options
• Misalignment between urban infrastructure and housing plans
• Conflicting incentives for creation of new supply

Support for urban densification

Increasing the densification of our cities is a critical part of increasing housing supply. Municipal and provincial governments across Canada are taking steps to combat urban sprawl, however, it is unclear if the process of densification is meeting its potential. Defining the "appropriate" level of population density in urban centres remains a difficult task. In some cases, public resistance adds a further barrier to increased density.

Inefficiencies in Construction

The cost of building new homes consists of the cost of the land that is being built on, and the materials and labour to build the structure. Although the productivity of the construction industry has been largely constant over time, a challenge could focus on finding efficiencies through innovative methods such as manufactured production, 3D printing, materials usage, etc., which could be applied in areas affected by housing supply constraints.

Limited data on land availability and value

Land prices are critical to understanding urban economies. They reflect overall housing demand, but can also be affected by elements such as proximity to infrastructure and regulations. In Canada, there is currently a limited availability of transparent and open data on land ownership and land prices (with certain exceptions in some provinces).

Long approval processes and timelines

Building new housing can be a lengthy process. In many cases, the time delay to build involves moving through administrative and regulatory processes to obtain approval for new development or re-development. There may also be delays in getting appropriate infrastructure in place. This can increase uncertainty reduces the timeliness of responding to price increases. It can also lead to price increases directly. This barrier is strongly linked to local contexts and planning processes that differ widely between municipalities across the country.

Land availability constraints

Limited land availability is a key factor limiting the growth of housing supply in many markets. Factors affecting land availability include geographic and natural features, as well as land which could potentially be developed for housing but might be zoned or used for other purposes. However, land can also be constrained by controllable factors such as the various planning functions undertaken within jurisdictions or by maintaining underutilized land uses for lengthy periods of time (e.g. vacant shopping malls, etc.).

Lack of flexible tenure options

Housing tenure refers to how a property is occupied. It can be rental or ownership. Tenure isn’t a feature of housing supply, but a property can be built to serve a particular tenure type. Tenures can shift, for example, moving from ownership to rental. The fact that tenures can change suggests that innovation may be possible in this area, but it is unclear whether existing housing structures or designs are amenable to flexible tenures. Limited tenure options and housing choices have a large impact on vulnerable populations such as racialized communities, those fleeing violence, and seniors.

Misalignment between urban infrastructure and housing plans

Housing choices are often linked to the time it takes to get to work and local amenities. For many people, a challenging commute means that they will want to live closer to their place of work or services that they routinely access. While many jurisdictions are encouraging development of housing near transit, in many cases the high cost of new transportation infrastructure limits its expansion in a timely way to many urban areas, which in turn affects supply.

Conflicting incentives for the creation of new supply

Many of these topics interact and overlap, and there may be tensions between them. A municipality with strong densification policies may find it difficult to implement these policies in new housing developments due to market demands. New development may primarily take place at the edges of cities, where transportation networks are less developed, leading to longer commute times and higher commute costs, and counteracting the otherwise lower housing costs. It takes time for new supply to come to market, and there may be a gap between the desires of a changing demographic and the available housing stock.

Investing in Change

The Challenge is part of Impact Canada and is led by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), in collaboration with the Impact and Innovation Unit in the Privy Council Office and Infrastructure Canada.   Up to $300 million will be distributed over five years through the various rounds of the Challenge.  

Process

There will be five separate and unique rounds as part of the overall Challenge. Details and information surrounding each round will be released as they become available.

Evaluators

Adam Rosenfeld

Managing Director and CFO of Ayrshire

• Full bio

  Adam is Managing Director and CFO of Ayrshire, a private equity business focused on the development of multi-family rental housing through its Housing Impact Funds. Adam leads Ayrshire’s corporate finance initiatives, its venture investment portfolio, and is a member of the investment committee.

  Ayrshire aims to partner with governments, non-profits, First Nations and other community stakeholders to create positive change in communities and develop critically needed housing supply at attractive costs. Ayrshire is a vertically integrated group of companies that also actively invests in ventures supporting the real estate ecosystem – these investments include building technology solutions, modularized or prefabricated systems and its own in-house contracting company.

  Adam joined Ayrshire in 2017. He brings over twenty-five years of expertise spanning banking, private company CFO roles, and engineering. Before his tenure at Ayrshire, Mr. Rosenfeld served as the CFO for a private company, where he managed financial operations and corporate planning. Prior to this, he had an eight-year tenure in investment banking, most recently as a Director of Corporate Finance at RBC Capital Markets, where he advised executives and boards on mergers and acquisitions, capital generation, restructurings, and strategic investments. Throughout this period, he contributed to transactions totaling over $20 billion and facilitated $5 billion in equity and debt financings. Prior to banking, he was an engineer working internationally for a multi-national conglomerate.

  He holds an MBA from the Ivey School of Business, a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering with a minor in aerospace from McGill University, and is a CPA, CMA charter holder.

Anna Kwon

Project Manager, Project Management and Engineering Division | Université de Montréal

• Full bio

  Anna Kwon is a project manager at Université de Montréal. She is a certified architect and member of the Ordre des architectes du Québec. Anna has more than 15 years of experience working on various construction projects for private and public firms. Her experience has focused primarily on public works, including affordable and low-income housing developments.

  In her role as a universal design consultant with Société Logique, Anna dedicated eight years to developing and implementing universal design principles into large-scale construction projects. Through her work on housing adaptation projects at Société Logique, Anna gained an understanding of what people with disabilities truly need in their living environments. She also learned about intelligent and thoughtful design principles that create a functional and enjoyable space for all, regardless of their physical or intellectual ability, origin or cultural identity. Anna is the founder of Experiment 303, a lab project that integrates universal design principles. Experiment 303 is funded under Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) National Housing Strategy Demonstrations Initiative. She has been involved in several housing accessibility research projects initiated and funded by CMHC, including the Study of the Cost of Including Accessibility Features in Newly Constructed Modest Houses. She also participated in the cost comparison for existing modest homes.

Asennaienton Frank Horn

Senior Manager Community Engagement | Indigenous Collaboration | Rogers

• Full bio

  Asennaienton Frank Horn, specializes in indigenous community engagement. He has dedicated his 20 year career to bridging the gap where indigenous communities can be equal with the rest of Canada. He worked with Residential School survivors in the Common Experience Payment program at Service Canada; he worked with First Nation communities across Ontario on affordable housing projects at CMHC. In late 2021, he left for Rogers Communications Inc to bridge the “Digital Divide” for indigenous communities in the telecom space. Asennaienton patterns this passion after his parents observing them dedicate all their energy to helping indigenous people caught in the criminal justice system. Asennaienton is Kanien’keha (“People of the Flint”) from the sister communities of Kahnawake (south shore of Montreal QC) and Kanesatake (neighboring Oka QC). He is very proud of his ancestral roots and their resilience to centuries of colonialism.

Ashley Smith

Managing Director, Fundamental Inc - climate focused consulting and design

• Full bio

  Ashley Smith is Owner and Managing Director of Fundamental Inc, a climate action consulting firm located in Newfoundland and Labrador. Ashley’s focus is on creating opportunities and developing solutions which address climate change – both mitigation (emissions reductions and energy efficiency) and adaptation (infrastructure resiliency and eco-asset management).

  Ashley has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Chemistry from McGill University and a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Toronto. Ashley is LEED® Accredited, trained in ISO 14064 for GHG emissions quantification, and has over 18 years’ experience in building design, community planning, construction project management, and renewable energy. Her combination of education and professional experience gives her a comprehensive approach to generating innovative solutions and implementing valuable outcomes.

Bill Semple

Designer, researcher, builder & consultant

• Full bio

  Bill is a designer, researcher, builder and consultant whose work focuses on the design and development of culturally appropriate, sustainable housing and communities across the Canadian north and Alaska. Placing a strong emphasis on community engagement and the use of a design process that is geared towards the needs of remote northern Indigenous communities, Bill facilitates design workshops that engage a wide range of community members to discuss issues and share/develop ideas on the design and construction of culturally appropriate, super energy efficient northern housing. Bill has more than 20 years experience working on projects across the Canadian north and Alaska, developing a body of work which he has presented at numerous national and international conferences, and universities in the Circumpolar north.

  With a strong interest in building northern capacity in the areas of design and research, Bill co-teaches a course in ‘Sustainable Building in Extreme Environments’ at the Denmark Technical University in Copenhagen (Sisimiut Greenland campus) and is an external supervisor and evaluator in the Doctor of Design programme in Architecture, Planning and Landscape at the University of Calgary. Bill is a member of the Board of Directors of the Cold Climate Housing Research Center in Fairbanks Alaska, is a Research Associate with the Arctic Institute of North America, and is a member of the Indigenous Task Force of the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada (RAIC). In addition to his work in the far north, he continues to carry out design and consulting work with Tibetan communities in northern India. Issues of sustainability, both cultural and environmental, are significant drivers of his work.

  Bill has a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo, a Masters in Environmental Design (Architecture) from the University of Calgary and a PhD (Human Ecology) from the University of Alberta.

Francis Bissonnette

Founder and CEO - Batimatech

• Full bio

  Francis Bissonnette is a graduate of HEC Montreal and holds an MBA from the University of Sherbrooke. He has over 20 years of expertise in the construction sector, including 12 years with a major construction association. He is the founder and CEO of Batimatech, a pillar of the construction and real estate industry in Quebec. Batimatech's mission is to promote innovation, collaboration, agility and the integration of the best digital solutions in our business ecosystem and in our institutions.

  In addition to organizing the PitchTech Innovation Construction competition for the past 7 years, which aims to promote innovation in the real estate (proptech) and construction sectors. Francis also conducts a census of technological solutions and innovative equipment for the construction industry in collaboration with the Ministère de l'Économie, de l'Innovation et de l'Énergie du Québec.

  In order to support the emergence of new solutions for the industry, Francis propels its incubator/accelerator, "L'atelier des possibilités", for and by the actors of construction, real estate, technologies (LABS) and venture capital.

   

Graeme Stewart

Principal – ERA Architects | Director – Tower Renewal Partnership

• Full bio

  Graeme Stewart FRAIC OAA RPP CAHP is Principal of Toronto-based ERA Architects, and a founding director of the Tower Renewal Partnership, a cross-sectoral collaborative supporting the decarbonization of Canada’s existing affordable housing stock through research, policy and action. Through these efforts Graeme and his team have helped to kickstart deep retrofit in housing across Canada and has directly overseen the retrofit of over 1,500 units of housing in the Toronto region. Projects include the Ken Soble Tower, the first PassiveHouse certified retrofit of a high-rise residential building in North America. Graeme is a member of the Toronto Community Housing Design Review Panel and a regular lecturer in Universities in Ontario and abroad. He is also the co-editor of Concrete Toronto: A Guidebook to Concrete Architecture from the Fifties to the Seventies, and a recipient of the Jane Jacobs Prize for his ongoing work related to Tower Renewal.

Marcel Brascoupe

Owner + Opertator, MB Radon Solutions

• Full bio

  Mr. Brascoupe is owner and operator of the company MB Radon Solutions. He presently holds a certified general contractor’s licence with the Régie du Bâtiment du Québec and presently specializes in the installation of radon mitigation systems throughout the province of Québec and Ontario. Marcel has been involved in the administration and management of rental and social housing programs, urban planning, land management, public works, housing and maintenance programs in First Nation communities for the last 30 years. Marcel also has a passion for computer programming and has developed many computer database programs over the years for the management of construction projects, human resources, asset management, project management and urban planning for the different First Nation communities he has had the opportunity to work with over the years.

Wilma Leung

Senior Manager, Technical Research and Education, BCH Research Centre, BC Housing

• Full bio

  Wilma Leung has decades of experience in civil and structural engineering, environmental management, government administration, and building design and construction. Wilma is a recognized innovator and industry leader in energy efficiency and climate resilience for the housing and building sector. At BC Housing, she leads research and education that systematically improve the quality of residential design and construction. This research helps better prepare the sector to meet emerging needs and avert anticipated challenges. Wilma is a member of both the BC Energy Step Code Council and the Standing Committee on Energy Efficiency nationally. Through co-leading the Mobilizing Building Adaptation and Resilience (MBAR) initiative, she advances the development of sector knowledge and capacity in enabling, designing and building low-carbon, climate adapted and disaster resilient housing infrastructure.

Xavier Robidas

• Full bio

  Xavier is curious by nature and has a wealth of experience and training in the environment and in economics. As a specialist in materials and building systems, Xavier’s experience as an innovation consultant for the Government of Quebec has turned this forestry and environmental engineer into an expert on the issues facing the construction industry. Xavier has an MBA from Université Laval and is currently the general manager of a forestry company.

Graham Gooch

President of Ayrshire Group

• Full bio

  Graham Gooch is President of Ayrshire Group, which is a private equity business; focused on acquiring and developing multi-family rental housing through its Housing Impact Funds. The executive team at Ayrshire (“air-shire”) has managed or developed over $10 billion of assets and been principals or advisors on over $10 billion of corporate transactions during their careers. Ayrshire aims to partner with governments, non-profits, First Nations and other community stakeholders to create positive change in communities and develop badly needed housing supply at attractive costs. Their firm is vertically integrated, through actively investing in venture companies supporting the real estate ecosystem – these investments include building technology solutions, modularized or prefabricated systems and its own in-house contracting company.

  Graham joined Ayrshire in 2014 after moving back to Canada from London and Hong Kong where he completed graduate school and worked at Forum Partners, a global real estate investment and asset management firm recognized for investing in and alongside public and private real estate companies. He is an MBA alumni of the London Business School and Hong Kong UST with undergraduate experience at the University of Alberta and the University of British Columbia.

  Prior to working abroad, Graham acted as a fiduciary to Canadian pension funds in his role as Director of Portfolio Investments at GWL Realty Advisors. Together with senior management, his team held national accountability for asset management, property management, leasing, valuation and reporting initiatives on a multi-billion dollar national portfolio of operating assets and developments.

Recipients

Explore the shortlisted applicants and their solutions for building a better future.

• Adaptive Prefabricated Housing for Remote to Rural Seniors & First Nations Communities

  Michael Green Architecture

  Remote coastal and island communities in northern and rural British Columbia face difficulties in obtaining adequate housing due to logistical, supply and site conditions.

  Michael Green Architecture is working with industry experts and BC Passivehouse to adapt a pre-built structure to decrease demand for supplies and services in remote locations. The system is easy to adjust, repeat and deploy at short notice. BC Passivehouse will supply the building frame, while an adaptable building kit will be used for foundations, servicing, and structures.

  The program considers community material and energy requirements to decrease implementation complexity, time, and expenses.

• Building sustainable housing in Canada’s north to provide for inclusive climate action that supports our most vulnerable populations

  Wilfrid Laurier University

  Over 40% of households in the Northwest Territories don't currently meet the nation's housing standards. One in 6 Indigenous people live in crowded conditions and face higher costs due to logistical and weather challenges.

  A team from Wilfrid Laurier University in collaboration with other organizations are creating climate-resilient, affordable and sustainable tiny homes to deliver to remote Indigenous communities affected by the severe housing crisis and climate change impacts. The goal is to withstand the harsh northern climate while being energy-efficient and transported affordably.

• Breaking Ground: Multi-family at the scale of a single-family lots

  Smallworks Studios and Laneway Housing Inc.

  The British Columbia Government is allowing up to 4 units on lots in the province, providing more housing options. This is like the post-war boom and Smallworks, an experienced infill housing development design-build company, is leading the project. Since traditional construction practices may not meet the demand, faster, cheaper, and more efficient building methods are required.

• Carbonated magnesium cements from salt water: A pathway to carbon negative alternative cements cast into highly resilient building envelope panels.

  ZS2 Technologies Ltd.

  ZS2 creates construction materials that are strong, safe, and healthy for the planet. Their approach captures CO2 and uses it to create valuable building materials. Their cement formula is cost-effective, carbon-negative, and energy-efficient. They offer prefabricated building panels and products that lower the environmental impact and construction time. Their method generates carbon credits and reduces waste. They turn waste and minerals into high-capacity CO2 storage cements. ZS2 offers affordable and sustainable alternatives to current practices. Cement is precast into concrete tiles and panels to reduce construction time and energy use.

• Construct360: The all-in-one construction database and cost estimation toolkit for affordable housing projects in today’s development landscape!

  Construct360

  Building affordable homes was delayed in 2022 due to rising construction costs. Nonprofits saw a 50% increase in construction costs from 2021 to 2022 and a 20-30% increase year-over-year. Construct360 will track construction materials and labor costs almost in real-time. The online data system will automatically track key materials and labor costs, providing line-by-line construction costs for different assets and financial models. All non-profit and housing organizations will get free access to the construction modeling online system. Using the construction database, construction estimation models from 2015-2023 will be adjusted to today’s costs to help make cost comparisons and determine the most affordable construction methods for housing completions.

• Construction Cost Set Designer

  TAS

  Construction Cost Set Designer is a digital database of building components that provides upfront certainty of construction costs for rental and condo housing projects. It uses a target-value delivery process derived from high-performance healthcare projects. This solution reduces iterations and overall costs, and TAS aims to pilot it at 880 Eastern Avenue in Toronto, using incubation funding. To support its development, TAS will consult with SvN Architects + Planners, EQ Building Performance, Pomerleau, and Archangel Ventures. Ultimately, TAS intends to scale the solution to an open-source database featuring Canadian-made products.

• Development of Self-Powered Wireless Switches and Sensors for Reduced Wiring Costs and Enhanced Energy Efficiency

  University of Alberta

  Self-powered wireless switches and sensors can reduce the cost of electrical wiring for homes. The battery-powered option requires frequent maintenance for battery replacement or recharging. The project aims to create wireless switches and sensors powered by ambient radio frequency energy, using advancements in wireless power transfer and ultra-low-power wireless transceiver. Their deployment may cut electrical wiring costs by up to 50% and overall construction costs by up to 4%. Homeowners can save thousands of dollars in long-term energy efficiency.

• Digital twin-informed engineered timber retrofits for sustainable preservation, upgrading and reuse of existing housing supplies

  The Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning/McGill University

  Canada is currently experiencing a housing crisis. There is a shortage of available housing and the cost of constructing new houses is high. The situation is made worse by the fact that many existing buildings are reaching the end of their useful lives, while others are vacant and desperately in need of renovation. One innovative solution being proposed is to use digital twin-informed engineered timber to retrofit these buildings. This approach can help improve the structural and environmental performance of existing structures, thereby reducing carbon emissions and increasing housing availability. The project is focused on Eastern Canada, where most of the nation's population resides. It is being led by a team of experts from McGill and Carleton University, with backgrounds in architecture, engineering, government, and conservation.

• Eden Dwellings: Innovating construction technology to empower people with thoughtfully designed homes.

  Eden Accessory Dwellings Inc.

  EDEN Accessory Dwellings (EDEN) uses advanced technology to improve the design, construction, and installation of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). The goal is to create affordable housing options due to rising interest rates, home prices, and limited supply. By manufacturing ADUs in 30 days, retailing their Standard Model at $75,000 with sustainable materials, and enhancing accessibility features, EDEN expects to achieve this goal. The founders of EDEN have extensive experience in construction management and have scaled prefabricated framing structures in their state-of-the-art facility.

• Guidelines for residential equipment and architectural assemblies to cope with flooding

  Architecture Sans Frontières Québec

  Architecture sans frontières Québec and the Institut national de la recherche scientifique propose a guidelines for handling flooding in homes and structures. The solution increases the resilience of homes against urban and open-water flooding, while keeping long-term costs low. Construction and installation techniques for protective equipment will be detailed. Implementation includes assessing capabilities, producing technical specifications, and communicating them to stakeholders and decision-making authorities. This is applicable to existing and new construction.

• Home Relocation & Repurposing Program (HRRP): Providing affordable housing to vulnerable populations by preserving and relocating high-quality homes.

  Light House Sustainability Society

  In British Columbia, 700 high-value family homes are demolished each year. The solution team wants to save and relocate those homes to communities in need, including First Nations and exurban areas. This approach is 40-50% more affordable than prefab or new construction and can be completed as quickly as prefab, but 2-3x faster than new construction. Moving homes also moves housing towards circular economic models and significantly reduces waste. Scaling the solution depends on improving data collection, mapping tools, guides, resources, promotions, and partnerships. The lead organization is the Light House Sustainability Society, partnered with Renewal Home Development, Nickel Bros, Sechelt Nation, Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA), and BC Non-Profit Housing Association (BCNPHA).

• Housing as a product - Our homes won’t be BUILT; they will be manufactured.

  R-HAUZ Solutions Inc.

  Building affordable housing faces multiple challenges such as inefficient custom designs, project delays, and supply chain problems. Productivity in construction has declined in the last 75 years, costing the global economy $1.6 trillion per year. Innovation in materials and building codes is offering new solutions to tackle Canada's affordable housing crisis. Combining modular techniques with sustainable building materials provides repeatable, high-quality housing products that can be built faster, more sustainably, and at a lower cost. R-Hauz is the leader in standardized, pre-manufactured mass timber, and mid-rise housing solutions that make the process faster, more affordable, and more sustainable through technology.

• Innovative Combined HVAC & DHW All-Electric Solution for Net Zero Ready Affordable Housing

  Peel Passive House Consulting Ltd

  Peel Passive House Consulting is spearheading a Net Zero Ready Affordable Housing project alongside key partners. The project is designed to test an all-electric heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and domestic hot water (DHW) solution for use in small, cost-effective multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs). We aim to validate cold air distribution systems as a viable solution for Net Zero Ready MURBs, while demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of switching from propane to low-load electric Combined Cooling, Heating, and Power units (CCHPs). The project will take place in Bancroft, ON, a rural community that requires affordable housing and overly relies on propane for space heating and DHW.

• Innovative Formwork Software for Efficient Housing Construction

  Formula Consulting Inc.

  Formula Consulting creates cost-cutting software for civil construction ventures. Formwork makes up 40 to 50% of structural costs. Improved design speed and construction efficiency result in avoiding expenses. Formwork refers to temporary structures used to construct large concrete buildings. There's potential for optimization in the formwork process. and there’s been strong interest expressed by industry leader PERI Formwork Systems.

• Intergenerational apartments: A new type of affordable housing

  Village Urbain

  Multigenerational households are becoming more common in Canada due to high housing prices, loneliness, and an aging population. However, housing construction has not met their needs. Multifamily housing doesn't provide enough options for this group. Multigenerational households can save money on care and taxes and increase affordable housing. Village Urbain and Sid Lee Architecture propose a new type of housing called the multigenerational apartment to accommodate different generations and families at affordable prices. This type of housing can help architects, developers, and municipalities create affordable housing.

• ‘Kit-of-Parts’ Platform System (KOPPS) to Provide Affordable, Sustainable and Resilient Housing in Canada

  University of British Columbia

  Creating affordable homes in Canada using 3D printing and robotic fabrication faces challenges. To solve this, the "kit-of-parts" platform system (KOPPS) approach is used to build affordable prefab homes. KOPPS simplifies installation of kit-of-parts components based on building codes, minimizing rework and costs. The project is led by UBC with community and industrial partners, aiming to reduce technical and management barriers to housing supply. KOPPS can be used for all types of housing projects.

• Lemons to Lemonade – Demonstration project revitalizing on-reserve housing to modern standards to keep Elders and young families in the community.

  Ktunaxa Enterprises Limited on behalf of Ktunaxa Enrichment Society

  In the 1950s and 60s, houses on reserves were poorly designed and are currently in poor condition. Many of these houses were not built for accessibility or aging-in-place and need to be upgraded. There's a debate on whether to demolish and replace them, while the Ktunaxa Elders Society renovates six of them to meet modern high-performance standards. The project aims to create housing models suitable for young families and the aging population.

• Modular single room occupancy co-living housing system

  Happipad Technologies Inc.

  Happipad is a Canadian provider of home-sharing services. They recognized a need for more people to live together in already existing housing. Happipad suggests using Single Room Occupancy (SRO) modular houses to tackle this issue. The SROs can be mounted onto existing structures to create shared living spaces. Happipad, Elzenwest, and LifeTec are coming together for this project. Happipad will lead the project, Elzenwest will take care of the site installations, and LifeTec will produce the modules.

• Moose Cree Housing Design Prototype

  Moose Cree First Nation

  The substandard construction of housing causes a crisis. Mold issues arise from poor insulation, air quality and air leakage. This poses a risk to families' mental and physical health. There is not enough housing for the high demand in a rural community located on Moose Factory Island in Northern Ontario. The Moose Cree First Nation is developing a new housing prototype with Indigenous-led solutions reflecting cultural values. They seek to create comfortable, affordable, climate-compatible, culturally appropriate housing.

• Prefabricated 12-storey Mass-Timber NZE Addition for Existing Buildings

  Archangel Ventures Inc

  Archangel Ventures proposes adding a Net Zero Emissions (NZE) mass-timber structure to existing class B and C office buildings within 12-18 months. The structure has a 7,500-square foot floorplate that provides about 130 homes. Many of these office buildings have underutilized air rights that Archangel is aiming to repurpose for diverse residential use. By using mass-timber, Archangel Ventures can adapt stranded office buildings using the material's high strength-to-weight ratio. The venture is partnering with Multiplex Construction, Element 5, and TAS to deliver the project.

• Scaling Carbon Compatible Housing Production for the Northern Boreal Climatic Region

  SHED (Strategic, Healthy, Ecological Design) Ltd.

  There's a housing affordability problem despite sustainability efforts. SHED Ltd. and Simple Life Homes are teaming up to streamline housing development. They'll improve existing housing systems, make more in northern Ontario, and have an online platform for people to choose from. They're starting with a pilot manufacturing facility on BMI Groups' former Red Rock Mill lands. They'll also train people in local communities to build new facilities. They'll create a catalogue of the different types of homes and materials they use. The project makes construction easier, lowers costs, and helps local economies.

• Single Stair Alternative Solutions: Construction Innovation for Affordable “Missing Middle” Housing

  LGA Architectural Partners

  In Canada, residential buildings with multiple units need more than one exit for safety. In other countries, small residential buildings can have one exit staircase without compromising safety, which increases efficiency of each floor and makes building smaller properties more possible while improving safety, sustainability, and design flexibility. Architects can propose different methods to prove equal performance with more fire-protection measures if needed. LGA Architectural Partners has over 30 years of experience with affordable housing and will work with a fire protection engineer to submit a proposal. The goal is to create innovative construction for affordable "missing middle" housing in Toronto that can be used across Canada.

• Skeetchestn Dodeca-Homes: traditional, customizable ready to assemble modular housing system

   Skeetchestn Natural Resources LLP

  Dodeca-Homes offers eco-friendly and affordable homes that can be assembled quickly. The design is based on Secwepemc First Nations' traditional homes and is aimed at Indigenous communities facing high demand for housing. Overcrowded, multi-generational homes often create unhealthy living conditions for Indigenous families. Dodeca-Homes addresses this issue by providing modern housing options that can be locked up within a month. Their goal is to create a durable and scalable structure that meets homeowners' growing needs while being compatible with the climate.

• Standardized and configurable multi-manufacturer volumetric construction system for high-volume orders

  Bureau de Promotion des Produits du Bois du Québec (QWEB)

  QWEB has brought together manufacturers of building modules to produce standardized components and connectors that meet high-volume, multi-manufacturer orders for affordable housing in Canada. The Gokit system helps to distribute high-volume orders among different production sites for modular buildings. The objective is to promote construction and building efficiency, with a focus on technical, energy, and environmental performance, to achieve carbon-neutrality.

• Platform for Remote Construction Inspections

  AECO Innovation Lab Inc.

  AECO and First Nations National Building Officers Association are creating a tool to remotely inspect newly built and existing homes using 3D capture. The digital platform will better connect communities with inspection providers, enabling better inspection services for Indigenous communities. This platform allows for rigorous inspections, fostering faster, safer, and more resilient housing. The use of this platform ultimately leads to significant long-term cost savings.

Stay connected

Use the hashtag #HousingSupplyChallenge  to join the conversation and get the latest updates on the Housing Supply Challenge. You can also email us at challenge@cmhc.ca.

• X
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Youtube
• Instagram

Challenge details