The Atlantic Off-Site Housing Innovation Roadmap, a project led by the University of New Brunswick Off-site Construction Research Centre and funded by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, supports increasing housing supply in Atlantic Canada through off-site and modern methods of construction.
Developed through extensive collaboration with industry, government, researchers, and housing stakeholders, this housing innovation roadmap Canada initiative outlines practical strategies to accelerate housing delivery, strengthen regional supply chains, and support long-term industry transformation.
Atlantic Canada is experiencing one of the most significant housing pressures in its recent history. Since 2020, rapid population growth and increased migration toward urban centres have driven housing demand across the region. At the same time, labour shortages, rising construction material costs, and regulatory complexities have constrained housing supply, intensifying affordability and availability pressures across all housing types.
These challenges have highlighted the need for scalable and efficient approaches such as modular construction Canada initiatives, off-site construction Atlantic Canada strategies, and broader adoption of modern methods of construction.
The roadmap identifies opportunities to improve collaboration, reduce project timelines, increase productivity, and support more resilient housing delivery systems across Atlantic Canada.
The roadmap was informed by a multi-stage research and engagement process that included:
The roadmap is structured to support phased decision-making, enabling jurisdictions and organizations to prioritize near-term actions that reduce immediate delivery risk while laying the groundwork for medium- and long-term capacity building.
The initiatives in the roadmap are broken into two groups, based on their expected timeline for implementation:
The results of this project indicate that no single organization or level of government can implement the roadmap independently. As a result, the report recommends establishing an Atlantic Off-Site Housing Innovation Network to support implementation.
The network would serve as a collaborative body with a mandate to advance off-site construction Atlantic Canada solutions across the region. It would include balanced representation from industry, government, and academic and training institutions across all four Atlantic provinces.
Representation should include, but is not limited to:
This collaborative governance structure is intended to improve coordination, accelerate adoption of modern methods of construction, and support long-term housing system innovation.
The Atlantic Off-Site Housing Innovation Roadmap provides a practical, evidence-based foundation to support the appropriate scaling of off-site construction as part of a broader strategy to increase housing supply in Atlantic Canada.
By advancing modular construction Canada initiatives, strengthening regional collaboration, and accelerating adoption of modern methods of construction, the roadmap positions Atlantic Canada to become a national leader in innovative, efficient, and sustainable housing delivery.
This report presents the Atlantic Off site Housing Innovation Roadmap, a plan to help Atlantic Canada increase housing supply and make the region a leader in off-site construction by using more off site construction methods such as modular and panelized building systems. It identifies key challenges and outlines practical actions for governments, industry and partners.
OSC involves building housing components in a factory and then transporting them to the site for assembly. This contrasts with traditional construction, where everything is built on-site.
Off-site construction, often referred to as modular or prefabricated construction, is a method where building components are manufactured and assembled away from the actual construction site. This contrasts with traditional construction, where everything is built on-site.
Atlantic Canada faces a housing shortage due to population growth, labour shortages and rising costs. OSC can help by:
No. The report emphasizes that OSC is not a universal solution, but it can play an important role when combined with other construction methods.
Key benefits include:
The report finds that the biggest challenges are system-related, not technical. These include:
Even though OSC is generally allowed, current systems are designed for traditional construction. This leads to:
The roadmap outlines actions in five key areas:
The roadmap proposes a phased, collaborative approach and recommends creating an Atlantic Off site Housing Innovation Network to coordinate efforts across governments, industry and academia.
The roadmap is based on extensive engagement, including:
The roadmap includes a dashboard and tracking system to monitor implementation, measure impact, and adjust priorities over time.
If implemented, the roadmap could lead to faster, more efficient housing delivery, better coordination across the region, and a stronger, more innovative construction sector.
