Experiences in Affordable Housing

December 7, 2020 in Housing

John sits down with three folks who live in affordable housing in Calgary. We wanted to understand the lived experience—what do residents like about where they live? What challenges have they had? Also, what types of environmental initiatives would residents like to see in the building they live in? 

This episode is part of our Better Housing Lab series. Learn more about the Better Housing Lab.

Going Green

November 2, 2020 in Environment, Housing

When I say ‘green building’, what do you think of?   You might think of solar panels, rainwater capture or sustainable materials. Often, these kinds of environmental features of buildings can be seen as expensive or non-essential qualities for buildings and in particular affordable housing solutions. Yet, there are endless reasons why we should provide affordable housing that integrates environmental performance. Sustainable buildings are better for people, the planet, and usually the pocketbook too.

Through our CMHC funded Better Housing Lab, we’re exploring how we can integrate environmental performance into the economic model of affordable housing projects. One of our collaborators in the lab is Matt Grace. He’s a green building engineer and a total expert on this topic. 

Last summer, John sat down with Matt Grace to talk about what it means to make buildings greener. Today, we’re re-running the chat from 2019, in the ‘before times’!

The Canadian affordable housing landscape

October 26, 2020 in Housing

How can we provide housing that is more affordable, environmentally friendly and livable, all at once? Throughout the next few months, we’re exploring this type of question. With a fantastic team of collaborators, we’re running the Better Housing Solutions Lab, which is funded by the Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation. The hope is that the lab will be a catalyst to drive action and innovation in the affordable housing sector. 

Our team initiated this lab alongside 

This episode is a second installment of the Better Housing Lab Series that explores issues surrounding affordable housing and serves as homework for our lab participants.  

To understand how we might innovate and improve future housing projects, we wanted to understand the Canadian housing context. What is the history of housing in Canada? What are some key challenges and factors of success? 

Today John chats with a former professor of his. Dr. Sasha Tsenkova joins us for a conversation to better understand the affordable housing landscape across the country.