B.C.-based Renewal Development repurposes homes set for demolition

Key Concepts

• Repurposing Homes: Moving existing homes slated for demolition to new locations.
• Indigenous Partnerships: Collaborating with Indigenous communities for housing solutions.
• Climate Resilient Housing: Building homes that can withstand environmental challenges.
• Triple Bottom Line: Considering social impact, sustainability, and economic viability.
• Modular Housing: Prefabricated housing components or units.
• Cost-Effectiveness: Achieving housing solutions at a lower cost compared to alternatives.
• Remote Community Challenges: Difficulties in construction due to lack of trades, supplies, and infrastructure.

Bridging Housing Needs: Renewal Development's Innovative Approach

This summary details the work of Renewal Development, a BC company addressing the critical housing shortage in Canada, particularly within remote Indigenous communities, by repurposing homes slated for demolition. The company's CEO, Lynn Lewis, explains their unique model that combines ecological friendliness with Indigenous partnerships.

Addressing the Housing Crisis

• Acute Shortage: Canada faces a significant housing shortage, which is especially pronounced in rural and remote First Nations communities along the coast of British Columbia. These communities require affordable and climate-resilient housing.
• Supply of Usable Homes: Simultaneously, Metro Vancouver and Greater Victoria are demolishing thousands of single-family homes to make way for higher-density developments, creating an abundant supply of good quality homes that are being discarded.
• Renewal Development's Role: The company acts as a bridge, connecting the supply of these discarded homes with the demand for housing in remote Indigenous communities.

Technical Process of House Relocation

• Assessment: The process begins with identifying and assessing homes slated for demolition. This assessment focuses on the home's condition, quality, and its physical feasibility for relocation.
• Structural Reinforcement: Steel beams are installed beneath the floor joists of the house.
• Lifting Mechanism: A unified jacking system is employed. Jacks push against the steel beams, which in turn lift the home off its foundation.
• Transportation: Once lifted, dollies are attached to the beams. These dollies are then connected to trucks for transport through urban streets.
• Barge Transport: For movement to more rural or non-urban communities, the homes are often transported by barges.
• Engineering and Planning: The entire process involves significant engineering, meticulous planning, and coordination with local municipalities and transportation departments.
• Historical Context: House moving is an industry with a long history, dating back to the 1850s and 1860s in the American Midwest, where it was done with horse and carriage. Modern methods utilize hydraulics and barges, making the industry more sophisticated.

Global Precedent and Scalability

• Auckland, New Zealand: Auckland is cited as a global leader in house relocation, moving approximately 1,500 single-family homes annually to surrounding areas. This demonstrates the viability and sustainability of this housing model.
• Renewal Development's Ambition: Renewal Development aims to replicate and scale this innovative and sustainable housing model in the Pacific Northwest.

Business Model and Profitability

• For-Profit Company: Renewal Development operates as a for-profit entity.
• Triple Bottom Line Focus: The company strives to maximize a "triple bottom line," considering sustainability, social impact, and reconciliation with Indigenous communities.
• Partnership with Indigenous Communities: Many of these projects would not be possible without the leadership and partnership of coastal Indigenous communities.
• Service to Developers: Renewal Development provides a site-clearing service to real estate companies in Metro Vancouver and Greater Victoria, acting as a demolition company for homes they wish to salvage.
• Product for Communities: They then provide the salvaged homes as a housing product to Indigenous communities or any community in need along the coast.
• Innovative, Sustainable, Modular: The company positions itself as an innovative, sustainable, and modular housing provider.

Cost-Effectiveness Compared to Alternatives

• Challenges in Remote Communities: Building new homes or transporting prefabricated/modular housing to remote communities is often complicated and costly due to the lack of local trades, supplies, and infrastructure. Some communities may lack basic amenities like coffee shops.
• Cost Advantage: Relocating and retrofitting a repurposed home is significantly more cost-effective. Renewal Development estimates it to be 20% to 40% more cost-effective than building new housing or bringing in other modular solutions in these remote locations.

Conclusion

Renewal Development's approach offers a compelling solution to the dual challenges of housing shortages in remote Indigenous communities and the waste of usable homes in urban areas. By leveraging historical techniques with modern engineering and a strong commitment to sustainability and Indigenous partnerships, the company provides an economically viable and environmentally responsible housing model. The success of this model is supported by global examples and its demonstrated cost-effectiveness in overcoming the logistical hurdles of remote construction.