A Strategic Deployment Plan for Modular Housing in Canada

A Strategic Deployment Plan for Modular Housing in Canada

Modular construction can accelerate affordable housing, but a scattershot approach will fail. We need a strategic deployment plan that prioritizes impact, scalability, and community integration. Here’s how these builds could be disbursed to maximize effect:

Acute Urban Crisis Zones (Immediate Focus)

• Provinces: British Columbia, Ontario.

• Application: Focus on missing-middle housing, pre-approved modular designs for fourplexes, sixplexes, and low-rise apartments on urban infill lots. This adds density quickly within existing infrastructure (transit, schools, utilities). Municipalities must pre-zone corridors for such development.

Regions with Economic & Demographic Pressure (Near-Term Focus)

• Provinces: Alberta, Nova Scotia.

• Application: Deploy modular solutions for purpose-built rental apartments and attainable starter homes in growing cities like Calgary, Edmonton, and Halifax. This supports economic growth by providing housing for new workers and stabilizing rental markets.

Rural, Remote & Indigenous Communities (Sustained Partnership Focus)

• Provinces/Regions: All, with specific focus on Northern communities, Indigenous reserves, and rural areas with limited construction seasons.

• Application: Use modular construction for community-led housing projects, health clinics, and schools. The factory-built model is uniquely suited to overcome logistical barriers, high costs, and short building seasons in these areas. This must be done in full partnership with communities.

Guiding Principles for Disbursement

1. Tied to Upzoning: Modular housing should be incentivized in municipalities that have legalized higher density.

2. Leverage Public Land: All levels of government should use their land portfolios for modular affordable housing projects.

3. Integrated Support Services: For supportive housing, pair modular construction with wraparound health and social services from day one.

By targeting the most acute needs first with the appropriate modular product, Canada can use this tool not just to build houses, but to build more equitable, dense, and resilient communities.

Sources:

1. CMHC: Data on housing need and core housing need by province and community.

2. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC): "National Housing Strategy" focus on priority sectors.

3. Indigenous Services Canada: Reports on housing conditions in Indigenous communities.