Please turn your device to portrait.
Modular construction major beneficiary of Canada’s homebuilding innovation announcement to address housing crisis.
Addressing Canada’s housing crisis, their federal government has announced a substantial investment of over $600 million (AUD $673 million) towards homebuilding innovation, with a particular emphasis on modular and prefabricated construction. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau from a modular housing manufacturing plant in Calgary.
The funding package includes a $50 million (AUD $56 million) Homebuilding Technology and Innovation Fund, aimed at scaling up and promoting innovative housing solutions such as prefabricated and modular housing. The government anticipates that this fund will leverage an additional $150 million (AUD $168 million) from the private sector and other levels of government. Next Generation Manufacturing Canada will lead the initiative, focusing on the integration of advanced technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence, and innovative solutions in the modular construction process.
In his delivery, Trudeau emphasised the need for a paradigm shift in construction methodologies to meet the pressing demand for housing. “We want to accelerate the pace of construction to levels not seen since the end of the Second World War,” he stated. “To do that, we need to change our approach and adopt innovative technologies. We need more made-in-Canada success stories – like here at NRB Modular Solutions, the largest modular building solutions provider in the country – and more centralized manufacturing sites where the best workers in the world, Canadian workers, can build faster for cheaper, all year around, with the help of innovation solutions around robotics, AI, and innovation.”
Watch Trudeau’s modular housing announcement at NRB Modular Solutions
Additionally, $50 million (AUD $56 million) will be allocated through regional development agencies to modernise building practices, encompassing modular housing, mass timber construction, robotics, 3D printing, and automation. An element of this initiative is the revival and updating of the post-war Housing Design Catalogue, which will include up to 50 new designs for various building forms, thereby streamlining the approval process and expediting construction.
Through the existing Apartment Construction Loan Program, which is set to receive a $15 billion top-up, an additional $500 million will be earmarked specifically for new rental housing projects employing innovative construction techniques. This move aligns with the government’s broader strategy to make housing more accessible and affordable for Canadians.
Watch NRB Modular Solution’s story
Trudeau’s vision for the future of Canadian housing is clear: “We need to build more homes in Canada, and we need to do so like never before. As a country, we have to build homes smarter, faster, and at prices Canadians can afford. That means investing in ideas and technology like prefabricated housing factories, mass timber production, panelization, 3D printing, and pre-approved home design catalogues.”
See: https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2024/04/05/changing-how-we-buildhomescanada
