Building from the Ground Up: Enhancing Affordable Housing in Canada

Affordable Housing Tools

Building from the Ground Up: Enhancing Affordable Housing in Canada is a 2010 report published by the Conference Board of Canada to raise awareness, deepen understanding, and provide the evidence base to mobilize stakeholders to expand the supply of good quality, affordable housing.

To assist stakeholders in this task, the Conference Board has also developed a collection of affordable housing tools for use by government, the private sector, and civil society. These tools can be applied at the local to national level and are accessible below.

Identifying at Risk Groups and Housing Options


Innovative Financing Structures and Techniques
Tool 1: Determining Priority
Groups and Required Units
Tool 2: Applying Innovative Financing Techniques
Tool 3: The Housing Trust Approach

Leveraging Public Resources

Tool 4: Assessing Crown Resources
Tool 5: Calculating the Contribution
of Land Grants to Affordability
Tool 6: Calculating the Contribution of
Density Bonusing and Inclusionary Zoning

Determining and Justifying Investments

Tool 7: Selecting Option to Deliver
Affordable Housing
Tool 8: Detailing Revenues/Costs
for Selected Option (Pro Forma)
Tool 9: Making the Case for Investment

Process Tools and Organizational Forms

Tool 10: Running a Project Efficiently—
The Kaizen Planning Process
Tool 11: Reducing Public Administration
Fees and Process Costs
Tool 12: Determining Organizational
Entities That Produce Affordable Housing

Government Subsidies / Credits

Tool 13: Calculating the Impact of Low-
Income Housing Tax Credits on a Project
Tool 14: Rent Supplement Approach to Affordability