Brief description of the organization
EDCB is a group formed within EllisDon Capital (“EDC”) to assist clients who wish to deliver affordable & supportive housing by providing development management services, leveraging EDC’s experience as a leading developer, investor, and asset manager of public infrastructure projects. This offering, alongside EllisDon’s broader construction and facility services framework ensures a sophisticated, holistic, and executable development, financing, and delivery plan for projects. EDCB has worked as a development manager/developer with a variety of housing providers across Canada to deliver housing, including with non-profit, for-profit, Indigenous, and municipal housing providers. Some of our key clients include Victoria Park Community Homes, Hamilton East Kiwanis Non-Profit Homes, BC Housing, Hupacasath First Nation, Missanabie Cree First Nation, and many more. On all our projects, EDCB, with our clients, leads the formation of partnerships with local government and management of all scopes across design, construction, planning, financing, commercial, & legal aspects.
Problem area
Access to affordable rental housing remains a critical challenge in many regions due to rising construction costs, limited financing options, regulatory barriers, and inefficient project delivery mechanisms. Traditional housing development models often lead to delays, cost overruns, and inadequate infrastructure, making it difficult to scale and sustain affordable housing solutions.
Main objectives
Explore different infrastructure/turnkey/design-build-finance models that have been used to deliver rental housing (whether publicly owned or private) and how these infrastructure models can be integrated into the delivery of affordable housing projects to create sustainable, resilient, and community-focused environments. Additionally, research on if/how multi-site concurrent projects have been completed in the housing space (i.e. multi-site infrastructure developments like the OPP Modernization packages, RCMP detachments, Onroute centres, Alberta Schools, etc.). Additional examples can be provided by EDCB.
Scope of work
- Literature Review & Environmental Scan Analysis - Review existing rental housing delivery models (turnkey, design-build-finance, public-private partnerships, etc.)
- Analyze infrastructure financing mechanisms (government funding, private investments, bonds, tax incentives, etc.).
- Identify successful global and regional case studies showcasing these models.
- Model Evaluation & Comparative Analysis - Compare the financial viability, speed, and efficiency of different models.
- Assess risk allocation, stakeholder involvement, and governance structures.
- Evaluate the role of technology, prefabrication, and modular housing in these
models.
- Integration with Affordable Housing Development - Identify ways to adapt infrastructure models for affordable housing delivery.
- Explore strategies for reducing development costs while ensuring quality and sustainability.
- Analyze the role of community engagement and social infrastructure in these models.
- Assess the potential for scaling these models in different housing markets.
- Develop a framework for integrating infrastructure models into affordable housing strategies.
Deliverables
- Report
- Final Presentation
Team meeting frequency
Bi-weekly.
Skills and training required
- Research and analytical skills
- Presentation skills
Resources required
- Base Design template and the online tool
- Some background information of the Base Design: EllisDon Community Builders' (EDCB) was recently selected in the CMHC Housing Supply Challenge. Base Design is a scalable template for rapid housing supply - as a ‘kit-of-parts’ it can be configured to suit any geography, site, construction method, scale, and budget. As apart of the Base Design template, EDCB has developed an online tool that, in 6 steps, takes users from inputting the site location, to a digital model of the building and a comprehensive downloadable report. This platform consolidates essential data—zoning laws, cost estimation, financing, and revenue projections—providing a streamlined, end-to-end pathway for project development.
NDA or a commercialization agreement for this project?
Yes