National Housing Day 2026: Reimagining Housing Through Partnerships, Innovation and Action

Session

Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) – Volumetric Modular

As communities across Canada work to address persistent housing shortages, modern methods of construction (MMC) are increasingly being adopted as a practical and scalable approach to delivering housing faster and with greater predictability. This presentation explores modular building as a modern construction methodology, drawing on ATCO’s modular housing catalogue as a design and delivery framework that supports efficient, repeatable, and adaptable multi-residential housing solutions across diverse community contexts.

The session begins with a “Modular 101” overview, outlining what modular construction is, how it differs from traditional and other prefabricated approaches, and why it is gaining momentum within progressive housing policies. Modular construction leverages factory-built modules that are fully finished off-site and assembled on-site, enabling concurrent site work and building fabrication. This approach improves quality control, reduces construction risk, and shortens overall delivery timelines compared to conventional construction methods, with typical modular project schedules demonstrating significant time savings by allowing manufacturing and site preparation to proceed in parallel.

A central focus of the presentation is the importance of early-stage planning and design coordination. Using the ATCO modular housing catalogue as a case study, the session highlights how pre-planned building systems, standardized modules, and flexible design guidelines can streamline decision-making while still allowing projects to respond to site conditions, municipal bylaws, and community needs. The catalogue approach supports multiple building configurations, suite mixes, accessibility requirements, and architectural expressions, offering a balance between repeatability and contextual responsiveness.

The presentation also explores the practical benefits of modular construction, including reduced on-site labour requirements, improved safety through factory-based production, enhanced durability, and greater cost certainty. By minimizing weather exposure and construction variability, modular buildings achieve consistent quality and long-term performance, supporting both market and non-market housing delivery models.

Social impact and demographic considerations are embedded throughout the session. Modular systems are well-suited to housing initiatives serving newcomers, families, and individuals transitioning out of vulnerable housing situations. The catalogue-supported designs include accessible and adaptable suites that enable aging in place and inclusive community living, while the speed of delivery supports faster occupancy and reduced displacement pressures.

By sharing practical lessons from modular design, delivery, and implementation, this session provides housing providers, municipalities, Indigenous organizations, and community partners with actionable insights into how modular building can support affordable, inclusive, and sustainable housing solutions across urban, rural, remote, and Indigenous communities in Canada.

Session

Transforming Multi-Dwelling Zoning in Rural Ontario

The Rural Ontario Institute (ROI) is a charitable organization that delivers programs that develop strong leaders who are critical voices around opportunities and key issues facing the agriculture sector, rural and northern Ontario. To support its vision of thriving, vibrant communities, ROI develops, informs, and connects rural and ag-sector leaders through programs, events, data analysis, and knowledge sharing tools.

In 2022, in partnership and with funds from the CMHC Housing Supply Challenge, ROI developed the Rural Housing Information System (RHIS) — a locally driven tool supporting municipalities, developers, and homebuilders in the planning and development of affordable housing. The RHIS aims to support not-for-profit builders in overcoming information barriers regarding housing in rural communities.

The data-driven, outcomes-focused solution harnesses data in an automated and easy-to-use dashboard, including:

• Demographic trends (population, growth, age, and income)
• Homelessness count and affordable housing stock
• Average home price and market rental information
• Building permit data
• Available zoned and developable land
• Available municipal building incentives, waivers, and grants
• Assets and amenities that support residents
• The ability to compare municipalities’ data

The RHIS housing tool was piloted in Eastern Ontario and grew to Western and Northern Ontario with the support of the Province and FedNor. This session reviews observations from centralizing housing data and the significant changes taking place in affordable housing across rural Ontario.

Learn more at ruralontariohousing.ca.

Session

How an Affordable Rent-to-Own Pilot is transforming rural communities

The Rural Workforce Rent-to-Own Program is transforming rural communities across New Brunswick by creating a practical and affordable pathway to homeownership while helping employers attract and retain the workforce they need.

In many rural regions, housing shortages have become a barrier to economic growth. Employers struggle to recruit workers because housing options are limited, while many working families face rising home prices and challenges saving for a down payment. This program addresses both challenges at once.

Through this model, newly built homes are made available to local workers who rent the property while gradually working toward ownership. Monthly payments are structured so that housing costs do not exceed 30% of a household’s gross income, ensuring the program remains truly affordable. A portion of each payment contributes toward a future down payment, allowing families to build equity over time while living in a stable home.

For communities, the impact is significant — strengthening local labour markets, supporting economic development, and increasing the supply of quality housing in areas that have historically lacked new development.

Session

Defying the Odds: Achieving Passive House Standards in Challenging Conditions Across North America

This presentation highlights the adaptability of Passive House design, showcasing how homes across the U.S. and Canada can meet Passive House criteria even in challenging conditions like incorrect orientations, shaded locations, seismic zones, and extreme climates. By focusing on design modifications rather than limitations, this session explores how Passive Houses are crafted to conserve energy rather than consume it — proving their feasibility across all landscapes.

Session

It is possible …

Brooks Housing Society (brookshousingsociety.ca) is a not-for-profit organization, located in Brooks, Alberta, providing 100% affordable rentals, comprised of 87 units (in a mix of 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, and 3 bedroom), providing safe, quality housing for approximately 240 individuals.

The current building complex is a mix of townhomes and 8-plexes, known locally as Prairie Village, and is located at 235 Meadow Lake Way in Brooks, Alberta.

Brooks Housing Society operates a sustainable business model, employing a full-time Property Manager, paying full property taxes, maintaining a regular annual capital replacement program, and contributing annually to a Reserve Fund — based entirely on an affordable rental rate basis. Brooks Housing Society carries no existing mortgage(s) and is 100% debt-free, all with no ongoing outside or additional external funding support.

Units are offered to low- and modest-income households at current (2026) rental rates:

• One Bedroom: $693/mth – $772/mth (including utilities)
• Two Bedroom: $808/mth – $924/mth (including utilities)
• Three Bedroom: $924/mth – $1,060/mth (including utilities)

Rental rates at Brooks Housing Society are guided by Income Threshold Levels published annually by the Community Housing Program in the Alberta Assisted Living and Senior Services Ministry. Eligibility is based on household income using CRA previous-year income.

All families and individuals’ needs are considered, including those facing housing insecurity, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and those fleeing domestic violence. Tenants are transitioned out of affordable housing units once income surpasses threshold levels.

Session

From Insight to Impact: CMHC’s Expert Community on Housing — Connecting Canada’s Housing Leaders

Designed to increase collaboration, contribute to the development of housing solutions, and expand beyond the traditional network of housing partnerships, CMHC’s Expert Community on Housing (ECoH) has brought together professionals from across the country to exchange insights, highlight best practices, and explore innovative solutions to support a more affordable, resilient, and inclusive housing system since November 2018 as part of the National Housing Strategy.

Join us to learn more about how ECoH, and its over 3,000 members, have fostered dialogue among housing practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders, and discover how you can engage with the community, contribute your expertise, and benefit from shared knowledge that is helping shape the future of housing in Canada.

Expert Community on Housing (ECoH)
ECoH is a diverse, collaborative community working together to scale housing solutions, with leaders and collaborators from both inside and outside the housing sector.

ECoH is a community where you can:

• Network, join forces, and learn — connect with housing experts from diverse backgrounds, collaborate, and contribute to housing solutions.
• Engage in various activities — take part in content sharing, networking, and collaboration through the Microsoft Teams forum, work with dedicated teams on housing-related projects, and attend in-person networking events across the country.
• Access valuable resources — engage in discussions, participate in member-hosted webinars, stay updated on innovative housing practices, and connect directly with CMHC’s people and programs.

Session

Lessons Learned from BC – A Systems-Based Approach to Enabling Gentle Density Housing

Across Canada, communities are grappling with how to increase housing supply while maintaining affordability, livability, and public trust. British Columbia has become a testing ground for a systems-based approach to housing delivery, aligning policy reform, regulatory modernization, local government capacity building, and industry transformation across urban, rural, and First Nations contexts.

This session shares key lessons from BC’s experience enabling “gentle density housing” — secondary suites, laneway homes, duplexes, multiplexes, and infill townhomes that add more homes to existing neighbourhoods while maintaining their residential character, offering a pathway to greater housing supply, diversity, and affordability.

The session covers three core areas of transformation:

• Policy and Regulatory Alignment — zoning and land-use reforms that enable gentle density, with considerations for small and rural communities.
• Implementation and Local Capacity — how municipalities are translating policy into practice through permitting reform and faster, more predictable development processes.
• Industry and System Innovation — collaboration across governments, non-profits, builders, and advocates to advance scalable housing solutions.

Drawing on practice-based insights from across BC, the session highlights what’s working, where challenges remain, and what other jurisdictions can learn — with particular attention to systems thinking, recognizing that housing outcomes are shaped by the interaction of policies, institutions, and market actors across scales.