Small Housing

Canada’s housing crisis is deepening. Despite billions of dollars invested through the National Housing Strategy, 2.4 million Canadian households are now in core housing need — 662,000 more than when the strategy launched in 2017. The numbers are sobering, but they also highlight a deeper challenge: investment alone isn’t enough. We need solutions that break through the barriers standing in the way of delivering real housing outcomes. Take gentle density, for example — an approach that could create the housing families and communities desperately need. Yet barriers like outdated financial products, particularly for modular and small-scale construction, continue to hold back its potential. At the Gentle Density Leaders Summit, we’ll take a hard look at where we’re falling short and focus on what’s next. From financing solutions to practical, on-the-ground strategies, we’re bringing together leaders to explore how we can unlock housing that works: 🔑 Homes that families can afford. 🔑 Housing options for seniors to age in place. 🔑 Solutions for citizen developers looking to build in their own neighborhoods. The housing crisis isn’t insurmountable. It’s time to think differently, act boldly, and deliver homes that meet the diverse needs of Canadians. Let’s make it happen. 🏠 Secure your ticket today to the Gentle Density Leaders Summit - https://lnkd.in/g-HPyMht #GentleDensity #HousingCrisis #SolutionsForCommunities #InnovativeHousing #UrbanPlanning

🚶♀️🚌 One year and eight months. That’s how long the average Metro Vancouver commuter will spend on transit in their lifetime, according to Moovit’s latest global survey. Greater Vancouver now claims the longest transit trip times in North America — a staggering 60 minutes, per journey. Nobody wants that. Long commutes steal time from families, communities, and quality of life. But there’s a solution hiding in plain sight, often right in our own backyards: gentle density. By delivering homes within existing neighborhoods, we can bring people closer to where they need to be, reducing the dependency on long commutes— whether it’s aging parents, work, schools, or essential services. Gentle density can: 🏠 Help seniors age in place. 🏠 Allow adult kids to live close to family. 🏠 Provide frontline workers with homes in the communities they serve. At our upcoming Gentle Density Leaders Summit, we’ll explore solutions to overcome the barriers holding back these housing solutions — and how planners and industry alike can deliver homes that meet the diverse needs of our communities. Because better housing choices don’t just mean more homes — they mean better lives. Check out the link below for more details on how to secure your tickets 🗓️ https://lnkd.in/g-HPyMht #GentleDensity #HousingSolutions #CommunityLiving #UrbanPlanning #MetroVancouver

🎉 Don’t miss our final Gentle Density Network session of the year—your last chance to connect before the holidays! Join us on Wednesday, December 18th at 12:00 PM for Point Access Blocks: A Step in the Right Direction?, featuring the brilliant Michael Eliason of Larch Lab 🏘️ This engaging session will dive into how modest updates to building codes—like single-stair egress—can unlock a variety of housing types. Discover how these changes can lead to homes that are better ventilated, filled with natural light, and thoughtfully designed to prioritize climate adaptation and public health. Michael will also share international perspectives and innovative approaches to urban planning that could redefine neighborhoods across North America. 📅 Save your spot today! https://lnkd.in/gVA7XB-T

🎉 Don’t miss our final Gentle Density Network session of the year—your last chance to connect before the holidays! Join us on Wednesday, December 18th at 12:00 PM for Point Access Blocks: A Step in the Right Direction?, featuring the brilliant Michael Eliason of Larch Lab 🏘️ This engaging session will dive into how modest updates to building codes—like single-stair egress—can unlock a variety of housing types. Discover how these changes can lead to homes that are better ventilated, filled with natural light, and thoughtfully designed to prioritize climate adaptation and public health. Michael will also share international perspectives and innovative approaches to urban planning that could redefine neighborhoods across North America. 📅 Save your spot today! https://lnkd.in/gVA7XB-T

🌟 Celebrate the Changemakers in Gentle Density Housing! 🌟 Do you know someone transforming neighborhoods into vibrant, inclusive, and welcoming spaces through gentle density housing? 🏡✨ Nominate them for this year’s Community Catalyst Award! 🏆 As part of our Gentle Density Leaders Summit, we're shining a spotlight on individuals, groups, or organizations making a real difference in housing, supporting efforts to deliver homes that people want, need & deserve. Let’s honor their impact and recognize the positive change they’re creating in our communities. Submit your nomination today and help us celebrate these inspiring changemakers! 💡👇 https://lnkd.in/etWzbqbk #housing #solutions #award #nomination #celebration

A big thank you to Alex Boston and the team at Boston Consulting for the opportunity to speak about our upcoming Gentle Density Leaders Summit during your recent webinar! The engaging session highlighted the transformative potential of offsite construction for gentle density homes—a topic Small Housing is deeply passionate about. Traditional residential construction, or "stick build," faces mounting challenges: skyrocketing costs, skilled labor shortages, and capacity constraints—issues felt acutely in regions like northern BC. Offsite construction offers a compelling alternative, with prefabricated components built in dedicated facilities, reducing onsite inefficiencies. However, homeowners often face significant financial barriers to offsite builds. Current lending practices leave up to 40% of project costs unfunded, creating a heavy burden on homeowners. Addressing this policy gap is critical for the sustainable development of Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH). We must also prioritize industry upskilling to "future-proof" construction and equip trades with the tools to thrive in this evolving landscape. These critical themes (and many more!) will take center stage at the Gentle Density Leaders Summit this February. Don’t miss your chance to join the conversation—early bird tickets are available now at unbeatable value!🏡 https://lnkd.in/eZm5Ajun #GentleDensity #OffsiteConstruction #HousingInnovation #SmallHousing #LeadershipSummit

🌟 Celebrate the Changemakers in Gentle Density Housing! 🌟 Do you know someone transforming neighborhoods into vibrant, inclusive, and welcoming spaces through gentle density housing? 🏡✨ Nominate them for this year’s Community Catalyst Award! 🏆 As part of our Gentle Density Leaders Summit, we're shining a spotlight on individuals, groups, or organizations making a real difference in housing, supporting efforts to deliver homes that people want, need & deserve. Let’s honor their impact and recognize the positive change they’re creating in our communities. Submit your nomination today and help us celebrate these inspiring changemakers! 💡👇 https://lnkd.in/etWzbqbk #housing #solutions #award #nomination #celebration

We’re thrilled to welcome Chris Hill to the Small Housing board! 🎉 Chris brings a wealth of expertise in offsite construction, modular building methods, along with a strong background in strategic leadership, financial management, and sustainable innovation. His extensive professional experience includes roles as the President and Founding Partner of B Collective, where he led groundbreaking initiatives such as the BOSS project and achieved B Corp Certification. As Interim CFO of Passive House Canada | Maison Passive Canada, where he championed high-performance building standards. As a Certified Passive House Tradesperson and Master Residential Builder, Chris's deep knowledge and hands-on experience will play a pivotal role in advancing gentle density housing solutions. His innovative approach to construction and unwavering commitment to sustainability align perfectly with Small Housing’s mission to make homes more attainable while fostering vibrant, connected communities. We’re excited for the journey ahead and can’t wait to see the impact Chris will help us achieve along with the rest of our fantastic board and staff members. Join us in welcoming him to the team! 👏 Daniel Winer Tamara White Akua Schatz Vienna Braux Aina Adashynski Andrew Bjorn David Sisk Nadia H. Lindsay Hardie Rick Mann Sarah Ellis Richard Bell Hein Scot Patricia Lightburn #housing #canada #solutions

🏡 Faster Approvals = More Affordable Homes 🕒💰 If you’ve ever wondered whether reducing approval times can truly impact housing affordability, Marshall Homes’ latest project in The Corporation of the Town of Ajax is proof it can. As this article in the Toronto Sun outlines, Time, a thoughtfully designed stacked townhome community, was approved in just five weeks thanks to decisive political will and collaboration between the public and private sectors. With 81 units priced from the low to high $600,000s — well below the area’s $851,733 average for attached homes — this project demonstrates how speeding up approvals can pass real savings to homebuyers. Faster approvals also mean Marshall Homes can deliver occupancies as early as February 2026. 🚀 When housing approval times are reduced, developers avoid prolonged financing costs and can deliver more affordable homes. Time stands as a shining example of what’s possible when innovation and political leadership align. We hope this inspires more action to unlock housing affordability. What are your thoughts on the relationship between faster approvals and housing costs? Let us know in the comments! https://lnkd.in/gS-djQxi #housing #policy #solutions #canada #attainablehomes

🏡 Faster Approvals = More Affordable Homes 🕒💰 If you’ve ever wondered whether reducing approval times can truly impact housing affordability, Marshall Homes’ latest project in The Corporation of the Town of Ajax is proof it can. As this article in the Toronto Sun outlines, Time, a thoughtfully designed stacked townhome community, was approved in just five weeks thanks to decisive political will and collaboration between the public and private sectors. With 81 units priced from the low to high $600,000s — well below the area’s $851,733 average for attached homes — this project demonstrates how speeding up approvals can pass real savings to homebuyers. Faster approvals also mean Marshall Homes can deliver occupancies as early as February 2026. 🚀 When housing approval times are reduced, developers avoid prolonged financing costs and can deliver more affordable homes. Time stands as a shining example of what’s possible when innovation and political leadership align. We hope this inspires more action to unlock housing affordability. What are your thoughts on the relationship between faster approvals and housing costs? Let us know in the comments! https://lnkd.in/gS-djQxi #housing #policy #solutions #canada #attainablehomes