IMPORTANT
The NHS Solution Labs is now closed until further notice. Please reach out to innovation-research@cmhc-schl.gc.ca for questions or assistance.

This lab helps transform underused faith-based lands into affordable housing by using geospatial mapping and criteria-based AI-driven models to identify development-ready sites. Many faith communities own land but struggle to develop it for housing due to financial pressures and lack of planning tools.

By analyzing zoning, service access, and housing needs, this project creates a systematic approach to repurposing these properties. It provides design concepts, 3D models, and best practices to guide faith organizations and municipalities in converting land into much-needed community housing.

The lab will create an implementable and replicable solution, making it easier for faith-based groups to develop affordable housing while sustaining their social missions.

This Lab will develop a business case for the Community Interest Company (CIC) structure, as an impactful and viable solution to acquire, develop, and protect non-market affordable housing in Canada. By removing barriers to the CIC model, the team aims to unlock low-cost financing and attract private capital to scale affordable housing projects across Canada.

A CIC is value-add to the housing sector as it can act as a financial vehicle and business framework that balances the values and interests of the community housing sector and the business community of impact investors.

The team will produce a detailed plan to remove barriers and implement a financing solution leveraging the CIC structure. It is these levers that will enable the community housing sector to protect and create more affordable housing sustainably at scale while empowering communities to thrive.

This lab accelerates housing delivery by using an industrialized approach to improve speed and efficiency in both getting sites development ready, and in housing construction and production. It aims to develop scalable, innovative solutions to accelerate the delivery of affordable, sustainable housing through factory-built construction. It tackles one of the critical challenges in housing — preparing development-ready sites for factory-built homes across a large portfolio of sites. The focus is on co-creating an implementable prototype for development readiness on public land suitable for affordable modular housing. The lab’s work will produce a roadmap for scaling the delivery of high-quality, affordable homes on public land within significantly reduced timelines. By fostering collaboration between approval agencies, modular builders, and public landowners, the lab offers an innovative approach to solving the housing crisis. It will provide a replicable model that overcomes existing barriers quickly.

This lab aims to scale community housing by helping multiple providers pool their land and resources into one combined portfolio. Many community housing providers struggle to grow on their own, which limits the creation of affordable homes. By working together, they can share the burden and reach a scale that supports more new units. The project will bring together interested housing organizations through an innovative co-design process to explore practical and desired solutions. A protype solution will be piloted in Ottawa with the Nepean Housing Corporation and the Ottawa Community Land Trust, and other local partners. The goal is to create an implementable and replicable model that both preserves existing housing and leads to the development of more affordable homes.

The lab aims to produce replicable financing models for community-led housing projects that leverage community wealth and establish a trusted framework that broadens investment participation. Co-designing and testing new ideas that lower the risk of community investment in non-market housing (e.g. Community Land Trusts) will lead to additional capital for community-focused, non-market housing providers. Many housing providers struggle to get affordable, timely funds to expand their work. Community bonds can help, but many investors are cautious due to perceived risks and other barriers.

The lab will use a two-part approach. The first part will explore the concerns of individual, group and institutional investors in Ottawa, Winnipeg and Halifax to understand cultural, policy, and behavioural challenges. The second part will work on improving the rules and policies around community bonds to reduce investor risk and set best practices.

By linking research with local needs, the lab has the potential to unlock much-needed funding for community housing and build wealth in local communities across Canada.

This lab aims to develop a ready-to-implement national community bond to support affordable housing across Canada. Many local community bonds have raised millions for affordable housing, but there is no coordinated effort at the national level. Smaller housing providers often struggle to build new homes because they lack early-stage capital. The national community bond will be available to housing providers of all sizes and help fund a variety of projects that meet local needs. The project will consult with advisors and stakeholders in rural, remote, urban, and suburban areas across the country to understand each community’s specific requirements. This solution can unlock new funding, stimulate housing development, and create a strong pipeline of affordable housing projects across Canada.

This lab aims to develop a culturally competent housing acquisition and management strategy that blends traditional Chinatown housing models with modern community land trust approach. Many Chinatown-based community organizations across Canada own and manage aging affordable housingthat are at-risk because of a lack of culturally specific resources and outreach strategies with aging property owners. Without intervention, hundreds of these units could be lost.

By creating a tailored acquisition, governance, and partnership model, this project will help preserve existing affordable housing while ensuring it remains community-led and culturally rooted. The approach will be tested in Toronto’s Chinatown, where tenant advocacy groups have raised concerns about deteriorating housing conditions, a lack of responsible land lording standards and capacity.

This innovative model has the potential to protect and expand culturally significant affordable housing, setting a precedent for similar communities across Canada. By bridging traditional housing practices with modern affordability strategies, it offers a scalable solution to preserve and strengthen community housing for future generations.

This lab aims to help community housing providers (CHPs) build more affordable housing by addressing key financial and structural barriers. Many CHPs struggle with limited access to capital, low rental revenues, and restrictions on using property equity, making it difficult to compete with market developers.

By bringing together CHPs, small and mid-sized private developers, legal experts, and financial institutions, the lab will explore new partnership models that make mixed-income housing development more feasible.

Through partner teams across Nova Scotia and Ontario, the lab will develop and test legal frameworks, toolkits, and adaptable models to support collaboration. These new partnership models and tools will help CHPs scale their efforts, improve financial sustainability, and create more affordable housing across Canada.

This lab explores a new way for community housing providers to combine their assets while maintaining independence, making it easier to finance and develop large-scale affordable housing. By “bundling” assets regionally — rather than merging — organizations can access lower-risk financing, acquire land, and manage properties more efficiently.

A prototype model will be developed using three diverse case studies, then refined through four workshops with regional housing providers across Canada. This approach builds on best practices and peer learnings to create a bilingual, multicultural strategy for scaling affordable housing.

By pooling resources, organizations can increase financial capacity, secure large government sites, and develop mixed-income housing for long-term social benefit. This model offers a faster, more collaborative alternative to mergers, helping community housing providers grow and strengthen their impact while preserving affordability.

This lab aims to reform restrictive zoning laws that prevent community and faith-based organizations from developing affordable housing on their land. Current zoning often blocks residential development or limits it to low-density use, creating long and complex approval processes that delay much-needed housing.

By working with municipal planners, policymakers, nonprofit housing providers, and community organizations, this project will develop recommendations for zoning adjustments that allow community-owned lands to develop affordable housing. Simplifying the zoning process will reduce regulatory barriers, shorten approval times, and unlock opportunities to build housing in high-demand areas quickly.

With engagement from municipalities across the country, the lab will create an implementable and replicable zoning framework that can be adapted across different regions. This approach has the potential to transform underused community lands into affordable housing, helping to address the housing crisis while keeping these lands rooted in community service.

This lab aims to transfer high-quality land from private developers to community housing providers so they can build affordable homes. Often, developers buy land for future projects, but high costs leave the land unused. Meanwhile, community housing groups struggle to access well-located land near services.

The lab will create win-win partnerships and financial models to make these transfers possible. It will develop clear agreements that guide both parties in working together. By building affordable housing on prime lots in established neighbourhoods, housing providers can improve their financial strength, gain more funding, and lower risks for future projects.

This approach showcases the solutions needed for public-private partnerships by unlocking valuable land and contributing to increased supply of affordable housing across Canada.

This lab aims to create a new housing model that addresses two major challenges: the growth limitations of community land trusts (CLTs) and the shortage of supportive housing for people with disabilities. Many CLTs struggle to acquire land, while aging parents worry about long-term housing and care for their adult children with developmental disabilities. This lab will design and test a prototype solution by exploring what is needed for families to contribute their properties to a CLT under specific terms, ensuring permanent supportive housing.

The model will include three components: a legal framework that facilitates win-win transactions between asset owners and community housing providers, a financial model that enables acquisition and re-development of low-density sites, and an operating model that brings together CLTs and supports service providers. With four families and two land trusts already engaged, this project has the potential to expand across Canada, securing long-term housing for those in need.