First standardized housing designs coming in December, but won't be permit-ready until 'early 2025'
The first iteration of the federal government's standardized pre-approved design catalogue – a revival of a wartime housing effort – will be unveiled in December, CTV News has learned.
Promised as an initiative aimed at speeding up construction, the government will be rolling out a series of standardized construction designs including modular and prefabricated homes.
Canada's housing minister will be announcing Monday that the first batch is set to include "up to 50 conceptual housing designs" that the Liberals have commissioned.
They will include row housing, fourplexes, sixplexes, and accessory dwelling units.
According to the government, the first version of the catalogue will include floor plans, drawings, and "basic information about each of the proposed designs."
Permit-ready and regional building code-compliant design packages won't be available until early 2025.
The design packages will include the necessary specifications and documents related to the construction, as well as estimated costs of building these standardized residences.
The government first announced the project in December 2023, saying then that it was launching consultations in January 2024 with housing sector stakeholders to revive a revised version of a Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CHMC) initiative enacted after the Second World War.
At the time, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Sean Fraser was aiming to have the catalogue of pre-approved blueprints ready for builders to see by the fall of 2024.
Known as "victory homes" or "strawberry box homes," the sizable federal effort undertaken between the 1950s and 1970s was key to addressing the housing shortages and construction capacity challenges of the time. Many of these homes remain standing across Canada.
"We need to build more homes, faster to end Canada's housing crisis and ensure that everyone has a safe and affordable place to call their own," Fraser said in a statement that will accompany the minister's announcement.
"The Housing Design Catalogue will help get us there by expediting approval processes and building times, and reducing the cost of building," he said.
The government has selected two firms to deliver on the first version of low-rise designs: MGA | Michael Green Architecture, which will work on plans for British Columbia, and LGA Architectural Partners Ltd., which will cover designs for Alberta, the Prairies, Ontario, Quebec, the Atlantic, and the North.
Though, Fraser will also be launching an open submission process that is soliciting additional designs from industry members who may submit existing prefabricated housing builds. Companies who build modular, 3D printed, or panelized houses have until Nov. 8 to submit to be considered for inclusion in the first iteration of the catalogue.
The next iteration of the design catalogue will include mid-rise buildings, for which the federal government will launch a competition to source designs next month.
The 2024 federal budget allocated $11.6 million in 2024-25 to support the catalogue's development.
IN DEPTH
Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power.
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than half of human trafficking incidents in Canada remain unsolved
More than half of human trafficking incidents remained unsolved in Canada by police as the number of incidents increased over the past decade, according to new data released Friday.
Human remains found in Markham, Ont. in 1980 belonged to prison escapee: police
More than 44 years after human remains were found in a rural area of Markham, Ont., police are revealing that the deceased was an inmate who had escaped prison just a month before his body was found.
WATCH 'It's mind-boggling': Drought reveals U.S. town submerged in the 1940s
Hundreds of people are flocking to see a rare site in Pennsylvania: remnants of a historic town that is usually underwater.
Manitoba RCMP identify infant human remains, asking public for help with investigation
Manitoba RCMP are looking for more information after the remains of an infant were identified.
Those typing monkeys will never produce Shakespeare's works, mathematicians say
Talented though they may be, monkeys will never type out the complete works of William Shakespeare, or even a short book, a new study suggests.
Auto theft probe leads to arrest of 59 suspects, recovery of more than 300 stolen vehicles: Toronto police
Toronto police say 59 suspects are facing a total of 300 charges in connection with an auto theft and re-vinning probe.
'I couldn't stay home': Canadian with no prior military training joins Ukrainian forces
In the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Adam Oake, a Canadian with no prior military training, sold all of his Toronto Maple Leafs memorabilia to buy a plane ticket.
Children's doctors reporting unusual increase in walking pneumonia cases in Canada
Children's hospitals across the country are seeing an unusual increase in the number of serious and more complicated cases of walking pneumonia affecting much younger patients, according to medical experts.
Video falsely depicting voter fraud in Georgia linked to 'Russian influence actors,' U.S. officials say
A video that purports to show election fraud in Georgia by a man who claims to be from Haiti is fake and the work of "Russian influence actors," U.S. intelligence officials said Friday.
Local Spotlight
'You look like me': 7-year-old who went viral for his Auston Matthews Halloween costume meets Leafs star
Auston Matthews has come face to face with his look-alike. On Thursday, the Maple Leafs star met seven-year-old Grayson Joseph, who went viral for dressing up as an Auston Matthews hockey card.
'You never know what you're going to find': Halifax junk remover shares some of his company's strangest discoveries
A Halifax junk remover shares some of his company’s strangest discoveries.
'Smiles per gallon': B.C. man creates Canadian-themed art car with stuffed moose on roof
When Leah arrived at work directing traffic around a construction site, she never expected to see a van painted in all sorts of bright colours, and covered in eclectic decorations, including a stuffed moose attached to its roof.
Guelph, Ont. charitable bike repairs halted due to bylaw complaint
After 14 years of repairing and selling bicycles out of the garage of her home, a Guelph, Ont. woman’s efforts have ended – for now, at least.
More than 20,000 goldfish removed from Edmonton stormwater pond
Epcor says it has removed more than 20,000 goldfish from an Edmonton stormwater pond.
Witches and warlocks take to the water across New Brunswick
Witches and warlocks have been flocking to New Brunswick waterways this month, as a new Halloween tradition ripples across the province.
Cosplay Queen: New Brunswick artist's handmade costumes attract thousands of followers online, celebrity commissions
New Brunswicker Jillea Godin’s elaborate cosplay pieces attract thousands to her online accounts, as well as requests from celebrities for their own pieces.
Meet the rescued duck at a Manitoba farm who has waddled her way into the internet's heart
A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.
Runners try to 'Beat Beethoven' classics during unique Halifax race
Hundreds of people ran to the music of German composer and pianist Beethoven Wednesday night in a unique race in Halifax.