Value-Added Housing
Project overview
We're supporting the transition to low carbon, equitable and resilient home building on public, non-profit and community land in B.C. and beyond. Strategically located, under-utilized land offers great opportunities to build excellent housing that connects people and strengthens communities.
What is Value-Added Housing? Value-Added Housing refers to innovative housing developments that converge affordability, climate action and economic transition. These developments support mixed-use, multi-unit housing with low embodied carbon and are built on strategically located land near transit and jobs.
Focus areas
BC Builds program exploration
We are working with BC Builds to better understand their program, create practical resources and convene groups interested in accelerating project timelines to build homes in their communities.
Innovative housing development exploration
We are engaging with communities who are transforming the land they steward to build homes and sharing their stories and lessons learned in a series of case studies.
BC Builds program exploration
How can we build excellent homes faster?
In 2024, the Province of British Columbia introduced the program to expedite the delivery of rental homes by using strategic partnerships and reducing costs by leveraging under-utilized government, First Nations, non-profit and community-owned lands and moving projects from concept to construction in 12-18 months.
Our work with BC Builds aims to better understand their program, create practical resources for interested groups and convene local government staff and Indigenous representatives interested in fast-tracking housing development in their communities.
Resources
Readings
Videos
As part of our engagement sessions, we invited experts from communities across B.C. that are currently working on – or recently completed – BC Builds projects, to share lessons learned and stories from their developments.
Cowichan Tribes and Khowutzun Development Corporation
City of Burnaby
City of North Vancouver
City of Penticton
Town of Gibsons
City of Langley
Presentation
We were invited by to share key findings from our BC Builds case study with elected officials from across B.C. We highlight how strategic partnerships and governance structures can accelerate equitable and resilient home building in communities across the province.
How can we build excellent housing quickly?
Podcast
Amal Abdullah, Project Coordinator at Renewable Cities, joined Lisa Helps on BC Housing’s Let’s Talk Housing Podcast for a deep dive into the BC Builds program. Together, they explore insights from our BC Builds case study and discuss how we can build excellent housing faster.
Innovative housing development exploration
How can we build affordable, climate resilient and socially connected homes?
Housing affordability, livability, climate adaptation and social isolation are growing issues in B.C. and beyond. Innovative housing developments hold great potential in harnessing strategically located, under-utilized land to build mixed-use, multi-unit homes to address these interconnected issues.
Our work aims to amplify the opportunities associated with land redevelopment for mixed-use housing projects on public and non-profit lands and to connect groups who are considering similar projects.
Resources
Readings
Workshop
We hosted a workshop with , and to discuss goals, challenges, experiences and resources for organizations that want to develop housing on top of community spaces but are not traditional housing providers (e.g., schools, health centres, faith spaces).
We invited housing experts to share their pathways forward to move beyond 'business as usual' and build excellent, socially resilient housing that will last hundreds years.