BuildingIN helps Canadian municipalities address the housing supply crisis by enabling multi-unit low-rise infill — the development of residential buildings containing multiple housing units, such as townhouses, duplexes, triplexes, or small apartment buildings, built on underutilized or vacant land within existing urban areas — to meet housing targets. This initiative is the result of a collaboration of housing professionals from several non-profit organizations and private companies. It has been selected as a semi-finalist by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) in round five of the Housing Supply Challenge.

The BuildingIN approach focuses on qualifying areas, using overlay regulations — a type of zoning tool that addresses specific needs or goals in particular areas without changing the underlying zoning — to remove barriers to infill. Rather than focusing on expansion (building out) or high-density construction (building up), the program enables municipalities to effectively build in. This ensures that housing growth integrates seamlessly into existing neighbourhoods, improving the quality of life for both current and future residents.

By simulating infill outcomes, BuildingIN enables municipalities to plan for low-rise infill with certainty, meet housing targets, and make strategic investments in infrastructure that will directly support large-scale infill housing.

The BuildingIN project will support ongoing work related to achieving the City’s housing targets and implementation of the Housing Supply Strategy.

Core Components of BuildingIN

1. Simulation and Modelling:
   • Detailed simulations answer key questions about unit types, numbers, neighbourhood impacts, municipal finances and emissions reductions.
   • Decision-makers can compare outcomes to targets and plan with certainty.
   • Scenarios are reverse-engineered to create overlay regulations and strategic investments for optimal outcomes.
2. Community and Industry Collaboration:
   • Constructive workshops engage municipal planners, industry leaders and priority audiences.
   • Participants explore simulated outcomes, understand cause and effect and design strategies that balance housing needs with community expectations.
3. Neighbourhood Investment Strategy:
   • Focused investment ensures that neighbourhoods become more desirable, building confidence among residents and priority audiences.
   • Overlay regulations address barriers to infill housing while avoiding disruptive blanket rezonings.

Community Consultation

In-person or virtual consultation workshops play a central role to the BuildingIN Program. They define and refine a new direction for older neighbourhoods, and address housing supply, emissions reductions and fiscal sustainability in the municipality. Each workshop will have a duration of one to two hours and will include playful learning, group discussions, problem-solving and active listening.

Consultation One

December 12 at 7 p.m.
Discovery and Direction

• Understanding our low-rise neighbourhoods throughout history to the present.
• Sharing our goals, hopes, aspirations, frustrations, and fears.
• Articulating a shared vision for the future.

Thank you to all those who joined us and shared their insights. We hope to see you at the next session!

Consultation Two

January 16 at 7 p.m.
Trade-offs

• Considering solutions.
• Understanding cause and effect.
• Clarifying outcomes and cumulative consequences.
• Big picture decisions to meet targets.

Virtual (Zoom link to come)

Consultation Three

February 13 at 7 p.m.
Refining

• Refining the solution for neighbourhoods.
• Considering transitional features.
• Recommending priorities and early investments.

Virtual (Zoom link to come)