B.C., Build Canada Homes team up to deliver 1,100 homes

Key Takeaways:

• Build Canada Homes and British Columbia are partnering to create at least 1,100 affordable housing units through standardized designs and prefabricated components.
• The project involves a total investment of 810 million dollars with the federal government providing 170 million and the province contributing 640 million for construction and operations.
• This initiative aims to accelerate housing delivery and reduce costs by using modern construction methods and sustainable Canadian materials to address affordability pressures.

The Whole Story:

Build Canada Homes is partnering with the Province of British Columbia to deliver a minimum of 1,100 affordable housing units using standardized designs and prefabricated components, the Government of Canada announced Thursday.

The partnership commits to building at least 700 supportive and transitional homes with construction to begin within 12 months. An additional 400 affordable rental homes will be delivered through British Columbia’s Digitally Accelerated Standardized Housing (DASH) program and modern methods of construction.

The initiative addresses affordability pressures facing Canadian homebuyers and renters by reducing construction costs, improving quality and shortening timelines through standardized designs and Canadian-made prefabricated components.

Build Canada Homes will contribute $170 million in capital costs. The Province, through BC Housing, will contribute $640 million covering both capital and operating costs, including $200 million in capital and $27 million over ten years in operating support to ensure long-term wrap-around services and housing stability for residents.

“Every Canadian deserves a safe, affordable place to call home, and partnerships like this are how we turn our ambition into a reality,” the Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada, said in a news release. “Working together with the Province of British Columbia, your government is moving projects from plans to shovels in the ground.”

The announcement marks the first phase of a shared commitment between Canada and British Columbia to leverage public lands, deploy flexible financial tools and use modern construction methods to accelerate housing delivery. The federal investment unlocks $170 million of provincial funding that can be directed to deliver the 400 homes using DASH and modern methods of construction.

By supporting standardized, scalable building approaches, the partnership aims to drive delivery of modern, energy-efficient homes that can be built faster and more affordably across British Columbia. The initiative also prioritizes projects using sustainable Canadian materials and strengthening Canadian supply chains as part of the federal government’s Buy Canadian strategy.

The governments commit to work together over future phases to deliver thousands of additional units.