Meet five innovators redefining Canada’s housing market

With skyrocketing rental prices, delayed construction and a lack of affordable community housing, Canada’s housing landscape is in urgent need of a shake up. Fortunately, entrepreneurs from across the country are stepping up to tackle these challenges head-on through CMHC’s Housing Supply Challenge.

While their approaches vary, these companies share a common mission: to make housing more sustainable, accessible and affordable for all Canadians. From reimagining construction workflows to creating affordable, eco-friendly communities, their efforts are paving the way for a better future.

Let’s meet the changemakers from the CMHC Housing Supply Challenge who are transforming Canada’s housing market.

One Bowl: Transforming housing for first nations communities.

One Bowl is a First Nations-led social enterprise dedicated to creating culturally appropriate, affordable and high-quality housing solutions for First Nations communities.

By working directly with communities, housing managers and councils, One Bowl serves as a collaborative partner, ensuring every project reflects the unique needs and traditions of the people it serves. Beyond housing, One Bowl is committed to driving economic growth, offering skills development and training and empowering First Nations entrepreneurship. Their mission is simple: provide high-quality homes and build a better future together with First Nations communities.

Promise Robotics: Revolutionizing construction with AI.

Promise Robotics is transforming how homes are built using AI-powered robotic systems, making construction more efficient and affordable. Launching in Summer 2025, its new 60,000-square-foot Calgary facility will produce up to 1,000,000 square feet of housing annually.

This expansion is built on the success of their Edmonton facility and Factory-as-a-Service (FaaS) platform, helping builders scale production with AI-driven robotic tooling. Their approach addresses significant challenges in the construction sector, such as labor shortages and stagnant productivity. By automating tasks, Promise Robotics accelerates the building process while enhancing precision and quality. 

Ratio.City. a division of Esri Canada: Empowering smarter housing decisions.

Ratio.City, a proud DMZ alumni, is a cutting-edge platform designed to equip real estate developers, architects and urban planners with the data and tools they need to make informed decisions.

Their solution addresses the common challenges of early-stage planning, such as identifying viable land parcels and navigating complex zoning regulations. By integrating essential data and visualization tools into a single, user-friendly platform, Ratio.City simplifies the planning process, helping users assess project feasibility and move forward with confidence.

Tapestry Community Capital: Unlocking community investment for housing solutions.

Tapestry Community Capital empowers non-profits, charities and co-operatives to fund housing projects by raising low-cost capital through community bonds.

They’ve worked with some of Canada’s largest social enterprises, providing the expertise needed to plan, launch and manage successful community financing campaigns. Their platform and consulting services help housing providers tap into local support, ensuring they can access financial resources to create community-driven housing solutions.

If you’ve ever wandered through Kensington Market to explore its bakeries and eclectic shops, you’ve experienced a neighbourhood preserved by community finance. With Tapestry’s support, the Kensington Market Community Land Trust (KMCLT) raised over $1 million from 165 investors to purchase and preserve affordable housing and commercial space. 

UTILE: Redefining student housing.

UTILE is a social economy enterprise dedicated to creating sustainable, affordable housing for Canadian students. By leveraging modular construction and innovative financial models, UTILE develops scalable solutions that reduce pressure on urban rental markets while promoting academic success and well-being.

Their energy-efficient designs and use of durable materials ensure a minimal environmental footprint, making student housing a catalyst for community development and a sustainable future.

Are you addressing critical issues in Canada’s housing market?

Check out DMZ’s Centre for Housing Innovation at dmz.to/CHI for more details on its accelerator program and training opportunities for housing professionals, manufacturers and entrepreneurs.