BuildingIN

This is our moment.
Let’s build homes that are:
💰 Affordable
🛠️ Attainable
♿ Accessible
🌱 Sustainable

For the next generation — and the ones after that.

Most Canadian neighbourhoods don’t allow this kind of building.
If we care about generational justice, we need zoning & parking reforms that:
🔓 Unlock older neighbourhoods
🏘️ Allow more housing types
💡 Welcome the next generation

Here’s an 8-unit design that fits on a 50x100’ lot:
🏡 1, 2 & 3 bedroom units
♿ 1 accessible unit
🪟 Light-filled half-basement suites
🚪 Each with its own entrance

It’s simple, repeatable & cost-effective.

Just like Forrest Mars turned a chocolate-melting problem into M&Ms, we can turn our constraints into opportunity.
Our version? Thoughtful low-rise multi-unit infill housing — the sweet spot Canada needs.

We can’t go back to 1949 — nor should we.
But we can embrace smarter, more efficient housing that:
✅ Uses existing serviced land
✅ Builds more homes per lot
✅ Strengthens city finances
✅ Reduces environmental impact

Post-war Canada built thousands of small, cheap houses for veterans. But those sprawling neighbourhoods are now:
📉 Low-density + costly to maintain
💸 A fiscal burden on cities
🌱 Built at the expense of farmland & nature

🌡️ This summer was one of the hottest on record.
🏠 Home prices are 3x higher relative to income than they were just 30 years ago.
We’re leaving future generations with:
🔥 a burning planet
🚫 homeownership out of reach

💡 "We’re handing the next generation two crises: a planet on fire & a housing market out of reach. How do we fix decades of generational injustice? 🏠🔥"
👉 Read on. 🧵

Canada doesn’t just need more housing.
It needs a smarter way to build it.
This is BuildingIN. 🏘️

#HousingCrisis #UrbanPlanning #InfillHousing #BuildingINCanada

Housing targets won’t be met with one-off projects that take years. They’ll be met by transforming how municipalities plan and approve housing at scale.

That’s where BuildingIN comes in.
We help municipalities unlock low-rise, multi-unit infill housing — faster approvals, repeatable designs, and growth that’s fiscally sustainable.

The barrier isn’t just funding. It’s process.
Approvals, appeals, and outdated rules are slowing housing when we need to speed up.

And it’s not just PEI.
Canada as a whole must double housing starts to 480,000 annually to restore affordability, according to CMHC.

Meanwhile, PEI needs nearly 2,200 new homes every year until 2035 just to keep up. Last year was a record: 1,694 starts — the most since 1973. Still far short.

⏳ 2.5 years. 3 homes.
That’s how long it took for a $1.4M affordable housing project in Charlottetown to move forward.

It’s time to leave 1950s zoning in the past.
Canada needs rules that reflect how we live today—and unlock the housing choices our communities deserve. ✨

Form-based zoning asks better questions:
✔️ Does this building fit the street?
✔️ Does it respect neighbourhood character?
✔️ Can it create more housing options?

The good news: Canadian cities are starting to shift.
✅ Edmonton
✅ Ottawa
✅ Halifax
…all experimenting with form-based zoning.

Right now, most buyers are stuck choosing between:
🏢 a tiny “shoebox” apartment
🏠 a detached suburban house
💸 an expensive luxury home

The missing middle—small multi-unit housing—barely exists.

Canada’s zoning rules were built for the 1950s nuclear family.
Today, they’re one of the biggest barriers to solving our housing crisis. 🏘️

The Mysterious World of Development Decisions The other day, I was chatting with my neighbour. She glanced at the row of empty parking lots down the street, shook her head, and said, “Why don’t developers just build something there?” It’s a fair ...

Our latest article pulls back the curtain on the mysterious world of development decisions — and why better forecasting is key to solving the housing crisis.

Read more here: www.buildingin.ca/post/the-mys...

At BuildingIN, we map those hidden barriers and opportunities.

By forecasting where infill can actually happen, cities can set housing targets that go beyond paper — and into reality. 🏘️

That’s why one “perfect” site can sit vacant for years… while another, less obvious site gets developed into new homes.

From the outside, it feels like a mystery. But the patterns are there.

Behind every new building are dozens of hidden deal-breakers:
⚡ Lot size & topography
⚡ Zoning quirks
⚡ Stormwater & parking requirements
⚡ Underground utilities
⚡ Financing risks & delays

These “invisible” factors add up fast.

Ever walked by an empty lot and thought:
“Why don’t they just build something here?” 🏗️

Spoiler: the answer is rarely simple. 👇

If municipalities are expected to meet housing goals, we need tools that work with communities — not around them.

We’re here to help make that happen.

#HousingCrisis #ZoningReform #Tecumseh #HAF #UrbanPlanning #CommunityEngagement #BuildingIN #FormBasedZoning #Infill

We offer:
📍 Zoning Testing (like 4 units as-of-right)
📍 Barriers & Opportunities Analysis
📍 Community Engagement
📍 Form-Based Zoning
📍 HAF support and reporting

All aimed at building homes and trust.

At BuildingIN, we’ve worked with cities like Sudbury, Edmonton, and Almonte to find a better way.

We test zoning reforms before implementation, show where gentle infill makes sense, and engage the public every step of the way.

Residents were clear: they didn’t feel heard. The town responded.

This isn’t anti-housing — it’s a sign that how we grow matters just as much as how much we grow.

Tecumseh has reversed course on allowing 4 units as-of-right — putting $3.2M in federal Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) money at risk.

It’s a reminder that the housing crisis can’t be solved without bringing communities along for the ride.