The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) welcomes the federal government’s launch of the Build Canada Homes (BCH) agency.
Backed by a $13 billion investment and a plan to construct 4,000 homes across six federally owned sites, BCH will fast track the delivery of affordable, sustainable housing nationwide.
“This commitment to factory-built housing and prefabricated building components, including both mass timber and light wood frame systems, directly supports the architects, engineers, and builders we work with every day. It enables them to rapidly deploy quality homes at scale, while meeting Canada’s sustainability and affordability goals,” says Rick Jeffery, president and CEO of CWC.
“We’re especially encouraged by BCH’s plan to adopt a ‘Buy Canadian’ policy and streamline permitting for bulk projects.”
BCH’s first projects will be launched in Dartmouth, Longueuil, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg and Edmonton, with construction expected to begin next year. The agency will also work with the Nunavut Housing Corporation to deliver 700 homes, 30 per cent of which will be built off-site and transported to Nunavut.
In advance of this announcement, the Canadian Wood Council (CWC) with Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) submitted recommendations to the BCH Market Sounding Guide highlighting how wood-based modern methods of construction (MMC) - including mass timber, light wood frame, and modular systems - can reduce build times by up to 50 per cent, cut carbon emissions by 30–60 per cent and lower long-term operating costs.
The CWC and FPAC urges BCH to implement key recommendations from its submission, including:
- Loan guarantees and concessional financing for factory expansion.
- A national “one-window” approval system for factory-built housing.
- A Design for Manufacturing & Assembly (DfMA) pattern library.
- Indigenous equity and workforce development tied to housing pipelines.
The CWC stands ready to champion this effort and ensure design and construction professionals have the information and support they need to rapidly deploy the sustainable, affordable homes Canadians need.
The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) is a leading force in advancing building codes and standards for wood construction, ensuring market access for Canadian wood products, and accelerating the adoption of sustainable, wood-based construction solutions in the marketplace.
