Today, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, announced the launch of a formal Request for Proposals (RFP) process for the Housing Design Catalogue. The RFP will seek design services for the development of low-rise designs as part of the Housing Design Catalogue initiative. Interested proponents have until August 7, 2024, to submit their proposal.
In January 2024, the Government of Canada began conducting targeted engagements with industry professionals and technical experts, homebuilders, non-profit housing providers, and other orders of government to inform the types of designs, features, and amenities in the catalogue, and to discuss how it can be adopted and implemented in various regions across the country. The Housing Design Catalogue - What We Heard Report summarizes the findings from the engagement and reflects on key points that have helped to inform the government's next steps.
The launch of the RFP process is an important step in advancing the first phase of the Housing Design Catalogue initiative. The first iteration of the Catalogue, set to become available in late 2024, will contain up to 50 low-rise housing designs, such as row housing, fourplexes, sixplexes, and accessory dwelling units, that provinces, territories, and municipalities could use to simplify and accelerate housing approvals and builds. The government will also explore opportunities to leverage new construction methods such as modular and pre-fabrication in future iterations of the catalogue.
