CMHC | Housing Supply Challenge
We put in an application to CMHC’s Housing Supply Challenge Round 5 | Level Up: Transforming the Way Canada Delivers Housing, where up to 20 Foundational Solutions can receive $1,000,000 by demonstrating potential for impact on more housing, faster, through innovation. Applications for STAGE 1 | ELEVATING FOUNDATIONAL SOLUTIONS closed on December 18, 2023, with semi-finalists being announced in February/March 2024.
We are going to be 1 of 20. Join our community and follow along as we embark on this new adventure!
Our Solution
Our Solution – BUILDING CODES AND BEYOND | A Systems Approach to the Canadian Housing Crisis – will help users at all levels of code literacy cut through the noise and confusion of the Codes, so they can keep increasing housing with faster access to better resources.
Our Solution consists of three main components that are aligned, intertwined, and supportive of one another. This systems approach will provide a comprehensive set of education and tools tailored to each stakeholder group and all building types (i.e. residential, commercial, institution, community, etc.). The three components are:
- NATIONWIDE ONLINE CODE COMMUNITY
- COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATIONAL PLATFORM
- THE TOOLKIT
Building off of the NATIONWIDE ONLINE CODE COMMUNITY that Kilo Lima has been growing since early 2020 through the creation of a community blog, shared calendar, resource hub, and online learning, the Solution will ensure sustainability of the industry leading learning hub and allow for a focus on removing barriers related to housing supply.
To get to where we need to be, everyone needs to be on board. In order for this to happen, high-quality, continually improving, accessible, and user focused education is required in order to provide a full picture of the complex problem, and an individual desire to work towards the solution. The COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATIONAL PLATFORM will be a profit-sharing model with niche experts from across the country, and will support the multi-layered needs of priority populations, including Indigenous communities. This platform will be accessible to a range of cultural backgrounds and diverse learning styles, and will meet or exceed the minimums developed by Accessibility Standards Canada.
THE TOOLKIT will comprise calculators, databases, best practice guides, process, and templates tailored to the needs of the AHJs in order to support consistent Code application, minimized re-design time and cost, and faster building permit approval times.
The Why
We want to live in a world where everyone has somewhere to call home. Where buildings aren’t just another commodity, but serve a real purpose. Where our built environment fosters community and connection so people don’t feel so alone. Where we appreciate the history and the stories that existing construction tells, instead of tearing down and building new whenever we have the chance.
It is said that the biggest pain point is usually the biggest trigger for change.
The Code is the pain point for the construction industry.
The Support
Here at Kilo, we have a fundamental belief that it takes a village to shift an industry, and the CMHC Housing Supply Challenge is no different. Round 5 | Level Up is all about cross-sector collaboration, INNOVATION, and of course, tackling the HOUSING CRISIS.
We’re gathering Letters of Intent from potential collaborators, and will be uploading them soon! If you fall into one of these categories and excited about BUILDING CODES AND BEYOND, drop us a line!
The COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATIONAL PLATFORM portion of our solution will only be feasible with input from niche experts from across the country. More information for potential instructors can be found here. If you are passionate about Code education, a template for a Letter of Interest as a potential Instructor can be found here.
Check out who is already on board:
Stay tuned for more info.
Stay tuned for more info.
A Priority Area of the Housing Supply Challenge is “Climate Compatibility – homes that make communities more climate compatible in their given context”. More information on how our solution aligns with this priority can be found here. If your organization (or personal mission) is focused on Climate Compatibility and you’d like to provide a Letter of Support, a template can be found here.
Check out who is already on board:
Stay tuned for more information.
Stay tuned for more information.
wondering what's after the first million?!?
STAGE 2 | ACHIEVING NEXT LEVEL IMPACT AND ADOPTION
Up to 10 Next Level Solutions can receive $3,000,000 by demonstrating they reliably help housing providers reach a higher level of output or faster speeds. Applications are open to the 20 Foundational Solutions from Stage 1, and are due September 2024 and finalists announced October/November 2024.
STAGE 3 | CHANGING THE SYSTEM
Up to 3 Game-Changer Solutions can receive $5,000,000 by creating the greatest proven and projected impact on housing supply for Canada. Applications are open to the 10 Next Level Solutions and are due February 2025, with Game-Changers announced March 2025.
OUR Application
We have an abundance mindset, and believe that when we share ideas, we all have more. This is why we’ll be sharing our application and plan to move forward shortly. Game changing solutions need to happen, and we can get there faster together.
The Solution builds off of Canadian Urban Institute’s (CUI) publication, The Case for Conversions | Understanding Opportunities for Conversions of Office Space to Housing in Canadian Downtowns.
Kilo collaborated with CUI for this work by producing the companion document, Canadian Codes and Existing Buildings. The recommendations provided by Kilo in the report will be the focus of Stage 1. Barriers and risk identified by CUI that will be directly addressed with this project:
- Aging structures and systems
- Lack of specialized knowledge and skills
- Cumbersome policies and building codes
The housing crisis is a construction cost crisis, and the complexity of building regulation is always increasing. Through a community of practice, unmatched next-generation education, and a toolkit to exponentially increase time savings in the design process, Kilo’s Solution will provide more industry capacity and slash barriers created by a lack of understanding and outdated Codes.