Federal government launches design catalogue to speed up housing development

Dignitaries gathered in Kitchener, Ont. for the launch of the federal Housing Design Catalogue on Oct. 15, 2025. (Alexandra Holyk/CTV News)

The federal government is hoping the introduction of a new ‘Housing Design Catalogue’ will help address the country’s housing shortage.

Canada’s Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, Gregor Robertson, announced the new initiative in Kitchener, Ont. on Wednesday.

“This partnership, led by the federal government, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, but working with local governments as well, to make sure that having standardized designs can speed up the process of approvals,” Robertson said.

The catalogue featured 50 designs specifically tailored to meet the needs of seven different regions nationwide. It includes townhouses, rowhouses and multiplexes.

As of Wednesday, the designs for Ontario included two accessory dwellings, two fourplexs, a sixplex and two stacked townhouses.

“The designs prioritize energy efficiency, accessibility and livability. They have been developed by local architects and engineers to comply with regional building codes,” a federal website stated.

Kitchener has been named one of the country’s top-performing communities when it comes to housing development. In March, the city was awarded $4,214,000 in funding as part of the Housing Accelerator Fund.

“As a partner and top-performing city in delivering on housing, the City of Kitchener is an ideal location to launch this national resource,” Mayor Berry Vrbanovic said. “Together, with Kitchener’s flexible planning frameworks and resources and Canada’s new guide, we’re making it easier to build more housing across our city.”