Canada Adopts World War 2 Strategy For Speedier Housing Construction

To address a severe housing shortage, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s administration has begun a housing construction strategy pioneered in the years after World War 2.

The government aims to use a catalog of pre-approved home designs to reduce the cost and time to construct homes. The concept was used after the war when thousands of soldiers returning from overseas needed housing.

The new adaptation differs from what was done in the post-war era. This time, instead of a focus on single-family “Victory House” structures, the government is seeking designs for multiplexes, mid-rises, seniors’ homes, student housing, garden suites, and lane-way homes.

The catalog will feature multiple designs in each category. A government official told that it is open to modular, panelization, mass timber, and possibly 3D-printed home designs.