Housing Faster. Building Better.

This initiative can help save taxpayer money by helping the District build affordable rental homes faster and better. When homes are built faster, projects can cost less overall because there is less waiting time, fewer delays, and better planning. A robotic, factory-based process can also create much less material waste, which helps lower costs and reduces what needs to be thrown out. Making repeat building parts in a factory setting can also reduce mistakes and re-work, which helps control costs. Over time, these efficiencies can help the District get more value from the same dollars.

The biggest savings can come from getting people moved in sooner. When homes are ready faster, the District can start collecting rent sooner and reduce the costs that come with people being unhoused or stuck in unsafe housing. Other benefits—like using Canadian-made materials that are built for our winters, and creating more stable supply and training opportunities—can also reduce risk and avoid extra costs over time.

This approach can shorten timelines because work can happen at the same time, all year long. While site work is underway—such as permits, servicing, and foundations—home parts can be built in the factory at a much faster speed than standard construction processes. This speed allows us to build more housing than before.

With factory-built components prepared while the site is being readied, the housing could be finished several months faster, compared to standard building methods, depending on the size of the building. That means homes could be ready sooner for people who need them.

This project supports the local economy by creating more steady building activity across the District. Even with factory-built components, local contractors are still needed for important on-site work, including foundations, servicing, roads or driveways, finishing, and landscaping.

The factory is expected to create 20 to 30 jobs in skilled, non-traditional trades roles. Because robots and automation would handle much of the heavy lifting, many jobs would focus on operating equipment, quality checks, and assembly work indoors, all leading to a safer work environment. This can make these jobs more accessible to a wider range of workers and support a more inclusive workforce.

Creating jobs also helps local businesses as new workers purchase more local goods and services.

Building more homes each year can also help local employers, because workers have a better chance of finding housing closer to where they work.

Adding non-market housing creates more lower-cost options for people who are currently priced out of the market. This can reduce pressure on the rental system and help prevent overcrowding, long waitlists, and homelessness even for those who are not eligible for more deeply subsidized non-market affordable housing.

This initiative can also help save taxpayer money by creating a safer place to work. In a robotic, factory-based setting, many tasks can be done at ground level, which means less working at heights and fewer chances of serious falls. The work would also happen in a climate-controlled building, so crews are less exposed to extreme cold, ice, heavy snow, or heat.

A safer work environment can mean fewer injuries, less time off work, and fewer project delays. Over time, that can lower costs connected to incidents, training replacements, and schedule changes—helping projects stay on track and protecting both workers and public dollars.

The goal would be to help deliver non-market affordable rental housing faster by creating the tools and space needed to build housing components more efficiently. This kind of investment is different from yearly operating costs because it is a larger, upfront cost meant to support housing delivery over the long term.

The District is considering a capital investment of up to $17 million to help build non-market affordable rental homes faster and at lower costs, using a new and innovative approach. This would be an early investment to help get the work underway.

To support this, the District is applying for grants from the Federal and Provincial governments that could cover about 50% of the investment.

This approach is expected to create long-term savings by making it cheaper to build homes over and over again. Over 10 years, housing production through the factory for the District and other municipalities is estimated to save about $52 million. Local taxpayers are estimated to save about $6.7 million over the first three years.

This investment would be paid back over time as housing components are produced.

We want to understand your level of comfort with the District making this type of investment to speed up affordable housing in Muskoka.

Please take our short survey about this innovative solution to build more homes, faster and better, in communities across Muskoka.