CMHC thinks so.
In a bold return to its roots, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is reintroducing a national housing catalog—this time aimed at sparking gentle density and infill development in urban neighbourhoods. The original post-war catalog gave us iconic Victory and Strawberry Box homes. The 2025 version offers 50 new designs, including laneway homes, fourplexes, sixplexes, and stacked townhomes—with 7 designs tailored for Alberta.
These homes are practical, affordable, and efficient. But there’s a catch.
As Calgary developer Mark Erikson points out, the bottleneck isn’t design—it’s permitting. His latest infill project took nearly 14 months just to get approved. Without municipal streamlining, these “missing middle” projects may never scale.
To its credit, the City of Calgary is piloting its own pre-approved housing catalog to speed up permitting to 8 weeks. It’s a promising move—if aligned with CMHC’s national efforts.
The question remains: Can we align federal innovation with local execution fast enough to make a real dent in our housing shortage?
Curious to hear from other designers, builders, and policy makers—what would it take to make this catalog a catalyst for real change?
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