Canada has never been more focused on housing than it is today. Federal, provincial, and municipal levels of government have made it clear that solving the housing crisis is a national priority. And rightly so.

It’s encouraging to see funding being allocated, programs being introduced, and policies designed to get shovels in the ground.

But as we are discovering, the challenge is translating ideas and funding into real, buildable projects that meet the affordability and sustainability goals Canadians need. That’s where experienced builders like VanMar, with systems like FRAMEWORK, can help.

Government momentum, private-sector expertise

Governments deserve credit for the urgency they’re bringing to this issue. Initiatives from the previous National Housing Strategy and CMHC funding programs to Build Canada Homes show real commitment to moving the needle. But as programs expand, so does complexity, and the best way to overcome that is through partnership, not duplication.

At VanMar, we believe the public sector’s role should be to fund and enable the private sector while picking the right partners to develop and construct. Building housing efficiently takes decades of experience, established systems and processes, and a deep understanding of how to navigate risk. That’s exactly the kind of expertise private builders bring every day.

We share government’s goals: faster delivery, greener buildings, and true affordability. To meet those goals, we’d ask governments to include industry at the table.

Housing is essential: Let’s treat it that way

Housing isn’t a luxury; it’s essential infrastructure. Yet it continues to be taxed and regulated like a vice.

For governments to make housing more affordable, a few clear steps would make an immediate difference:

• Remove HST on all homes under $1M.
• Reduce or eliminate development charges for affordable and purpose-built rental housing.
• Simplify, shorten, and standardize approval processes across municipalities.
• Provide incentives to make the cost of operating multi-family housing lower.

These are common-sense measures that recognize every extra layer of tax or red tape adds cost and time – two things affordable housing can’t afford.

Turning policy into production

Across Canada, projects are being delayed not because the will isn’t there, but because the path forward can be unclear. Multiple funding streams, evolving criteria, and lengthy municipal approvals have created a process that’s difficult to navigate for even the most experienced developers.

VanMar has lived those challenges firsthand. In the past two decades, we’ve built thousands of affordable and market-rental units across the country, working with every level of government and a range of non-profit and market-housing partners. That experience shaped our approach to housing and ultimately led to the creation of FRAMEWORK, a comprehensive system designed to meet government initiatives while removing many of the barriers that slow housing delivery.

Introducing FRAMEWORK: Meeting the mandate

Framework is VanMar’s prefabricated, panelized wood-frame system engineered specifically for multi-residential, affordable, and rental housing. It brings together everything government policymakers are asking for: prefabricated, modular, fast, sustainable, high-performing, and affordable housing built at scale with Canadian materials.

• Prefabricated, panelized, modular: Our softwood-lumber buildings are manufactured in a controlled environment, delivered to site, and rapidly erected — meeting the government’s call for modularity and scalability.
• More affordable: FRAMEWORK consistently delivers cost savings of 40 percent, up to $55,000 less cost per home, over volumetric modular, mass timber, concrete, and precast systems – savings that can be redirected into more units or deeper affordability.
• Faster: Prefabricated wall and floor panels are manufactured off-site and installed in sequence, achieving an overall project schedule to build 100 units in just 10 months, the fastest midrise delivery model on the market. At least 30% faster than any other built form.
• Sustainable: Built with renewable Canadian softwood lumber, FRAMEWORK reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions and embodied carbon by as much as 90 percent compared to concrete.
• Energy efficient: Wood inherently eliminates thermal bridging, delivering exceptional thermal and acoustic performance that exceeds national energy standards.
• Adaptable: From supportive, seniors, and affordable housing to purpose-built rentals, FRAMEWORK is modular by design and can fit virtually any site configuration.
• Aesthetic: Affordable doesn’t have to mean ugly. FRAMEWORK buildings are built to the same standard of livability and durability as any private-sector project. That’s the kind of dignity everyone deserves, and FRAMEWORK makes it possible at scale.

In short, FRAMEWORK is purpose-built to help governments meet their housing and climate goals using Canadian materials, Canadian labour, and a proven Canadian delivery model.

Affordability without compromise

There’s a growing recognition that affordability isn’t just about supply; it’s about cost structure. Simply building more housing won’t make it cheaper if construction, financing, and approvals keep getting more expensive.

FRAMEWORK directly tackles that equation. By simplifying construction, shortening schedules, and optimal efficiency at every stage, it lowers the hard costs that make rents and prices climb. That means governments and non-profits can stretch their dollars further, and families can access quality housing without compromise.

Building the future, together

Canada doesn’t need to reinvent housing. The solutions already exist. FRAMEWORK is proof: an advanced, repeatable system that’s delivering cost-effective, energy-efficient housing right now.

If governments act as funding partners and continue to remove the financial and regulatory barriers that drive up cost, the private sector can deliver thousands of homes; faster, greener, and more affordably than ever before.

A framework for change

We all want the same thing: housing that Canadians can afford, that communities can be proud of, and that governments can point to as real progress. VanMar (with FRAMEWORK) is ready to help turn that vision into reality. 

Learn more at http://buildwithframework.ca/.