Although the prospect of building an additional three and a half million homes by 2030 may seem daunting it is doable if we start now. Canada needs to increase its building capacity by 150% over that period. It can be done! The call to action is: better, faster, cheaper! We need to go on building spree and get the job done.
The Way Forward
- Reduce development and finance costs. Increase and speed up development – this will require both reduced permitting/approval processes and automating production/delivery systems which will include mixed income/mixed use developments that have a sustainable revenue stream. (i.e. hotel rooms, student and workplace housing, short term rentals and executive suite rentals as well as near and full market rentals combined with affordable homeownership and rent to own options).
- Housing Bonds: Long term, affordable funding – i.e. low interest construction loans and mortgages funded by housing bonds secured by land and property. Today’s mortgage rates are at 6-6.5% and the interest cost per month per unit is over $1000/month on a 600 sq ft unit on a 25-year term. The target is a two percent bond rate and to have a portion of the purchasers donate the interest back and be eligible for a charitable tax credit.
- Reduce or remove land costs through long-term leases (60-99 yrs), community land trusts, and redevelopment of non-profit lands at increased density and land donations from government, industry and landowners. (i.e. redevelopment of aged out buildings and/or strip malls where the owner donates a portion of the land in exchange for reduced capital gains exposure and more density).
- Reduced permitting and approval times. In Vancouver it can take 11 months for a single family home permit. Mid-rise construction can take three or more years.
- Modular/Prefab next generation production and delivery systems.
- Using SaaS (Software as a Service) to automate many of the time consuming and legal, logistical, financial systems for non-profit housing/Non Market development and simplify and de-risk the process for homeowners and builders wishing to leverage government programs like the Secondary Suite Incentive Program. (i.e. one click access to self-directed RRSP funds to facilitate the sale of housing bonds, pre-approvals and permitting of building systems for both Laneway/Carriage , low and mid-rise projects, bulk purchasing, smart contracts and agreements and pre-sale systems.)
