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Value-Added Housing

River's Edge development by Cowichan Tribes and Khowutzun Development Corp. Photo: BC Builds/BC 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.

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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.

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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

BC Builds: A Case Study

Published: February 2025

Our case study gives a comprehensive overview of BC Builds in its first year of implementation, best practices, key characteristics for program implementation and recommendations for local governments interested in replicating components of the program.

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BC Builds: A Policy Brief

Published: June 2025

Our policy brief outlines strategies for successful program implementation and critical considerations for governments replicating elements of BC Builds, summarized from the case study.
 

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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

Innovative Housing Developments: Case Studies

Our compilation of case studies dive into eight home building projects on public or non-profit land to provide examples of lessons learned, best practices, challenges and recommendations to non-market landowners and local and provincial government.

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Innovative Housing Developments:
Summative Learnings

Our summative learnings publication highlights learnings across all eight case studies.

Download

Photo: VIA Architecture

Brechin Hill is a five storey church and residential building, replacing the original 1950's A-Frame single-storey church building.

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Photo: Co:Here

Co:Here Housing is a mixed-income apartment building located on the former under-used parking lot of Grandview Baptist Church. 

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Photo: The Lark Group

Legion Veterans Village is a 20 storey tower that integrates affordable and market housing, a legion facility and other services.

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Photo: Rosati

Windsor Islamic Association is developing housing to put the community's seniors closer to the mosque and its community.

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Photo: Jaden Nyberg

Bella Bella Staff Housing was rebuilt to Passive House standards after the original hospital staff housing burned down.

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Photo: Henriquez Partners Architects/City of Vancouver

The Coal Harbour Project incorporates a school, daycare and social housing on a city-owned site in downtown Vancouver.

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Photo: Flickr.com/news.gov.bc

Rossland Yards incorporates affordable workforce housing and a new city hall to address the needs for both in the City of Rossland.

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Photo: DIALOG/UBC

The Exchange Residence at UBC provides housing for students on top of a renewed bus exchange.
 

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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.

Recording: Let's build housing on community land!

Road map for housing development

A road map to help your organization determine pathways to housing development.

Download

Report: What we heard

Our what we heard report summarizes themes and topics that emerged during the workshop.

Download

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