Community-Led Pathways for Affordable and Resilient Housing in Northern and Indigenous Communities

Summary

Northern and Indigenous communities across Canada face severe housing challenges, including overcrowding, mold and high energy costs. Co-developed with the Cree Nation of Chisasibi, this Living Lab creates decision-support tools for healthier, more affordable and resilient housing adapted to northern conditions.

The project integrates three approaches: community-driven digital twin modelling links participatory workshops with energy simulations, allowing Cree knowledge holders to co-create housing archetypes and explore scenarios for efficiency, affordability and resilience, including solar PV, storage and microgrids; northern-adapted prefabrication strategies refine modular building systems for durability, moisture safety, rapid assembly and transport; and life-cycle affordability analysis compares capital, operating and maintenance costs to support equitable decision-making.

It builds local capacity through training in sustainable construction, moisture management and energy efficiency, providing long-term employment pathways. Outputs include validated digital tools, moisture-safe prefabricated components and early pilot cases to improve housing quality, reduce costs and enhance resilience.

By combining technical solutions with community engagement and energy planning expertise, the project delivers scalable methods for Indigenous and northern communities, strengthening energy autonomy and outage resilience while improving housing conditions.