Made-in-B.C. Innovations Help Build Homes Faster
VICTORIA, British Columbia — British Columbia is tackling its housing crisis with homegrown innovations. On May 27, 2026, DIGITAL hosted the Housing Growth Innovation Showcase at the BC Legislature, bringing together government and industry leaders to demonstrate practical technologies that are accelerating housing delivery across the province.
The showcase highlighted the Housing Growth Innovation (HGI) Program, backed by a $9 million investment from the B.C. Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs. This program is helping industry speed up housing production across the entire lifecycle — from design and digital tools to modular and offsite construction, supply-chain coordination, and workforce capacity.
Government and Industry Collaboration
Christine Boyle, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs, emphasized the importance of innovation: "There is so much creativity and innovation in the housing sector right now, and our government is glad to be a strong partner in it. We must continue to find new and better ways to speed up construction and help deliver the homes people need."
Elysa Darling, Chief Operating Officer of DIGITAL, added: "Solving housing challenges requires more than one government, one company or one technology. It requires coordinated action across public and private sectors to modernize how housing gets delivered."
Measurable Results
Since the initial investment in 2023, DIGITAL has attracted additional funding totaling $14.4 million and engaged over 50 sector partners, including Indigenous communities and private-sector companies. The program has achieved significant results:
- Construction time reduced by up to 60% and site assembly costs cut by up to 20% through modular and panelized methods.
- A 1,760 sq. ft. mass timber home built in five days by local, mostly new tradespeople.
- More than 200 homes annually produced through mobile prefab micro-factory partnerships with Indigenous Nations.
Scaling Innovation
Amy Vilis, Director of the HGI Program at DIGITAL, explained: "B.C. is leading the charge on housing innovation. We have the talent, the ideas, and the will – what we don't have yet is scale. Across 14 projects, we're seeing four kinds of impact: tools and methods the whole sector can use, commercial products that keep IP and jobs in B.C., demonstrations built and measured on the ground, and the workforce and partnerships needed to carry the work forward."
The program is designed as an innovation stack across the housing production lifecycle, ensuring proven solutions can be implemented and scaled by any builder, municipality, or Nation in B.C. and across Canada.
