Housing Crisis: A Real Problem on Our Hands

As we have pointed out in the past, it is not a secret to anybody the fact that our country is facing an incredibly difficult situation regarding the built environment and its impact on citizens and the economy in general.

Canada’s housing crisis, particularly in Quebec, is characterized by an acute shortage of affordable housing. Vacancy rates have plummeted to critical levels.

The causes are multiple:

• Low social housing construction
• Old buildings in extremely poor living conditions with little to no maintenance
• Rising construction costs
• Immigration and demographic changes
• Shifting living habits
• Real estate speculation

One often overlooked root cause is the persistently low wages that families have in the province, never catching up with the cost of living.

The impacts are considerable:

• Labor shortages in some regions
• Creation of ‘camping’ neighborhoods in urban centers
• Reduced quality of life for tenants
• Unsanitary living conditions for many
• Sharp rise in rents
• Increasing evictions
• Change in social tendencies
• Growing social inequalities  

While it is said that the crisis particularly affects vulnerable populations, in my opinion, it impacts everyone, either directly or indirectly.

As mentioned in a previous blog on this subject, empowering individuals and teaching social responsibility and accountability are key to finding a way out of this crisis. This blog revisits the topic with a more general approach, hoping to complement the same idea at different scales.

Change in Mindset: Your Building as a Tool for Social, Economic and Environmental Change

Proposed solutions to the housing crisis often include accelerated social housing construction, better rent control and greater government intervention.

I have previously argued in other blogs that both the sources of problems and solutions should come from every individual and the community. We cannot continue to pretend that the source of our problems lies in others or with governments. The entities that represent us are a simple reflection of the type of society we are, and our society is the reflection of us as families and individuals. Therefore, all possible changes must start in our hearts and minds manifesting through conscious individual initiatives.

I don’t believe in a primarily socialist approach as a mean of parenting the way out of our problems, which essentially outsources potential outcomes to the problems that affect us all. Most people seem to expect the government to change everything with a magic wand, just to create a more ‘fair context’, and for the rich to pay their dues to the victimized general population.

I consider myself very fortunate to have been raised in a family where responsibility, accountability and hard work were the norm. My parents instilled in me a sense of duty and empowerment that has guided me through very difficult times, allowing me to improve my life and that of my family, employees and fellow citizens in different ways.

Once again, I believe that all changes are possible depending on how every individual decides to act or simply chooses to be a bystander.

Embracing the Triple ‘P’ Approach: People, Planet, and Profit

At LPS Architecture & Gestion we love acronyms for their simplicity and profound meaning. We also value concepts that come in threes. The 3P approach considers the following:

People

While there’s a widespread consensus that housing opportunities must be affordable, I find this position unrealistic and wishful. If we understand that the nature of things and the economy has been, and will continue to be, characterized by increasing prices, we may realize that instead of wishing for things to me more affordable, we should strive to increase wealth production.

This reminds me of when I had limited means for survival and had to cut expenses in all areas, even toilet paper! At some point, it becomes unbearable and ridiculous. Instead, I understood that I needed to generate more revenue, which meant reinventing myself and acquiring skills more appealing to the job market.

I acknowledge that in a context where it’s easier for everyone to demand things from the government, the rich and landlords while being distracted by social media, TV, and other numbing ways of ‘relaxing’, the idea of using internet to access new information to equip ourselves with skills to change things for the better becomes boring and unappealing.

Reinventing ourselves is not only the solution to this problem but also a necessity, as the world and social behavior are in constant mutation, driven by our own tendencies or events that force change.

The Pandemic for example changed many aspects of our lives particularly how we interact in communities impacting our built environment. Beyond major events, we are constantly changing our lifestyle, the way we commute, interact and create new communities. On top of all that, we are continuously developing ways to preserve our well-being.

From individuals to professionals in my field and all other actors, we need to understand these shifts so we can better design, utilize, and maintain our built environment.

I believe we are placing too much hope in the new construction when many existing buildings, structures and infrastructures have been neglected for decades.  In my experience, this neglect is completely logical due to lack of resources, and still, we want the impossible: for things to be more affordable. This raises the question: Who will pay for it?

In my humble opinion, this dimension of the 3P approach is the most important and requires the most energy and work….so we better get cracking!

Planet (Cities, Neighbourhoods, Buildings & Ecofriendly Modifications (Insultation, Air/Water Tightness, Renewable Energy, 4Rs)

We all know that the resources for ensuring a minimal quality of life for future generations are limited.

To begin we need to consider changes in mindset of each of us: all possible solutions to the housing crisis involve revamping existing construction as well as building new structures. In both cases we all need to incorporate the 4R strategy:

• Refuse single-use and superfluous consumption
• Reduce overall consumption and adopt more responsible lifestyles
• Reuse objects or repair them to extend their lifespan
• Recycle materials once objects have reached the end of their useful life

At a city level, we need to consider retrofitting central areas, strategically located neighbourhoods and underutilized buildings to maximize their full capacity or potential. This approach makes better use of the land and the existing infrastructure, by increasing densification efforts.

The location of refurbished housing units plays a crucial role in the success of any revitalization project. Properties strategically situated near public transit hubs and amenities are highly desirable. By embracing transit-oriented development, owners can capitalize on the growing demand for walkable, accessible communities that reduce car dependency, not only lowering costs in all aspects but having a positive impact on the environment, the health and well-being of individuals.

At a building unit level, retrofitting buildings with energy-efficient materials and systems not only reduces operating costs but also minimizes environmental impact.

I often reflect on how easy it is to renovate buildings here compared to my country of origine. Not only are materials and equipment easily accessible and reasonably priced, but techniques and knowledge are available to everyone. We I see buildings in distress with people living (or barely surviving) in them, I can’t help but think how much we need to empower our communities.

Improvements that enhance a building’s thermal insulation, air and water tightness, and proper ventilation, among many others, are very accessible to everyone.

As landlords and tenants empower themselves and become increasingly environmentally conscious, properties that prioritize sustainability and well being will be more appealing. This will create more prosperous communities, tending to densify with individuals and families who are more inclined to create constructive environments where they become masters of their place and destiny.

Profit: Nothing Will Happen Out of Good Intentions; Profit Must Be Present

As expressed earlier in this document, someone will have to pay for everything that surrounds us. We can not continue pretending or expecting that everything will be given to us or subsidized.

We need to understand that someone will have to build or renovate, operate and maintain our buildings to ensure proper conditions for all present and future users, and there’s a cost associated with all of that.

We cannot expect someone to invest their energy, knowledge, experience and hard-earned money without expecting financial compensation. Similarly, we cannot expect owners of old buildings that require expensive renovations and repairs to simply increase rent at very low percentages, knowing full well that everything is becoming more expensive.

I believe that this way of thinking is one cause of the problem, where building owners in the process of trying to make a profit, abandon the idea of renovating the building and simply do the bare minimum.

Despite my opinion, and thinking in solution mode, a strategy for looking for profits involves maximising the use of the land while respecting local bylaws and other applicable regulations and codes.

Subdividing existing spaces to make room for new living units, offering housing solutions for a mixed array of tenants varying in age, gender, family composition and even education and income level could make more diverse communities while allowing for profit.

Mixed-use developments and other income sources like renting unused parking spaces, creating storage units, and offering other amenities and services are ways of using space to increase income that could help in the financial realm.

Conclusion

Finding solutions for the housing crisis, or any crisis for that matter, requires a state of consciousness and proactivity from all actors in society, starting by the individual.

All actions must be directed towards empowering society to act responsibly and decisively. This includes building, repairing, renovating and adjusting constructions to more efficiently serve housing needs. These efforts should consider:

• The well-being of occupants
• Environmental responsibility towards future generations
• Financial gains as a retribution for the risk assumed by those taking concrete measures to create new housing opportunities.

By focussing on these aspects, we can work towards a more sustainable and equitable housing market that benefits all members of society.

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