From Tree to Home: Local Passive Panels, Prefab Housing, and Distributed Manufacturing

From Tree to Home: Local Passive Panels, Prefab Housing, and Distributed Manufacturing

In this episode of New Housing Alternatives, hosts Cherise Burda and Dr. Ren Thomas speak with Melinda Zytaruk, CEO of Tooketree Passive Homes, a social enterprise that factory‑produces low‑carbon, high‑performance building panels. Together, they explore how offsite construction can deliver faster, more affordable, and climate‑resilient housing—while also creating safer, more stable local jobs. Melinda explains how panelized construction works, from sourcing Ontario wood and recycled cellulose to assembling precision panels in a controlled factory environment and partnering with builders on-site. She challenges dominant narratives about “industrialized” modular housing—like the idea that big, robot‑filled factories are the answer—and instead makes the case for a distributed network of small and medium panel producers embedded in local communities. They also unpack how federal initiatives like Build Canada Homes and “modern methods of construction” can support (or constrain) this ecosystem, why integrated design and early collaboration matter more for cost than any single technology, and how offsite construction can align with non‑market housing, co‑ops, and land trusts to deliver long‑term affordability and climate resilience. Key Takeaways * Offsite construction is about people, not robots. Successful modular and panelized housing companies rely on skilled workers and collaborative teams—not vast, automated warehouses—creating safer, more accessible jobs (including for people traditionally excluded from construction). * Factory‑built panels can be both low‑carbon and cost‑competitive. By integrating design early, reducing waste, and standardizing processes (while still customizing each building enclosure), panel producers can deliver Passive House–level performance without necessarily increasing as‑built costs. * Local supply chains strengthen both climate and community outcomes. Tooketree’s panels use Ontario wood, recycled cellulose, and wood fibre insulation from Quebec, adding value to regional forestry and manufacturing while reducing emissions and supporting local economies. * Distributed manufacturing builds resilience. A network of small, community‑based factories across Canada can share work, smooth demand, and avoid the vulnerability of “picking a few big winners” that may fail or face delays. * Policy and finance must recognize pre‑construction and cash‑flow realities. Programs like Build Canada Homes can unlock capacity if they fund early design and collaborative planning, and address the “chicken‑and‑egg” problem of paying for materials and fabrication before panels arrive on site—especially for non‑profits, co‑ops, and land trusts. Chapters: 00:00 – Intro & Episode Overview 00:37 – Why Prefab and Offsite Construction for Housing? 01:56 – Introducing Melinda Zytaruk & Tooketree Passive Homes 02:38 – Trade Show Pitch: Building Faster, More Affordable, and Low‑Carbon 03:48 – Why Build Panels Indoors? Jobs, Safety, and Work‑Life Balance 05:17 – What Offsite Construction Really Looks Like (Not a Warehouse of Robots) 07:16 – Custom Panels, Shop Drawings, and Design Flexibility 08:39 – From Single‑Family Homes to Co‑ops and Non‑Market Housing 09:55 – Acting as Project Integrator and Design‑Assist Partner 10:44 – High‑Performance Goals: Passive House, Net Zero, and Low‑Carbon Enclosures 11:17 – Social Enterprise Values and Scaling Up to Multi‑Unit Housing 12:32 – Long‑Term Affordability and Operating Costs 13:22 – Is Offsite Construction Too Good to Be True? Costs, Myths, and Evidence 14:47 – Why Collaboration and Integrated Design Drive Cost More Than Technology 15:52 – Certifications: CSA, Passive House, and Net Zero Builders 16:23 – Sourcing Ontario Wood, Recycled Cellulose, and High‑Performance Membranes 18:06 – Supply Chain Vulnerabilities and Local Supplier Relationships 19:05 – From Tree to Home: Forest Jobs, Value‑Added Manufacturing, and Assembly 19:45 – Training Builders and GCs to Assemble Panels on Site 20:26 – How Offsite Construction Expands (Not Replaces) Local Construction Jobs 21:01 – What Policies Support Distributed Panel Producers? 21:40 – Build Canada Homes, Insurance, and Climate‑Resilient Housing 23:10 – The Need for Pre‑Construction Funding and Early‑Stage Design Support 24:18 – Cash Flow, Deposits, and the Modular “Chicken‑and‑Egg” Problem 26:00 – Industrialization vs. a Diverse, Distributed Offsite Ecosystem 26:27 – Why Small and Medium Local Factories Make the Sector More Resilient 27:29 – Collaboration Over Cut‑Throat Competition in a Housing and Health Crisis 28:43 – Centring Community, Well‑Being, and Human Rights in How We Build 29:49 – Closing Reflections, Optimism, and Credits Learn more about the Tooketree Passive Homes here: https://www.tooketree.com/ New Housing Alternatives is made possible with the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Explore our Vision & Objectives and Research Clusters & Projects, and subscribe to our blog at the link below: https://newhousingalternatives.ca/blog [https://newhousingalternatives.ca/blog]

Community Land Trusts and the Future of Kensington Market

In this episode of New Housing Alternatives, hosts Cherise Burda and Dr. Ren Thomas speak with Dominique Russell, writer, activist, teacher, and co‑director of the Kensington Market Community Land Trust (KMCLT). Together, they explore how community land trusts (CLTs) use collective ownership, organizing, and mutual aid to fight displacement and preserve deeply affordable housing and commercial spaces in Toronto’s Kensington Market. Drawing on a decade of neighborhood organizing—from stopping a proposed Walmart to acquiring three mixed‑use buildings—Dominique explains how CLTs decommodify land, center community power, and reimagine what “ownership” can look like. She discusses funding tools like Toronto’s Multi‑Unit Residential Acquisition (MURA) program and community bonds, and reflects on how CLTs across Canada are increasingly grounding their work in decolonization, land back, and social justice. Key Takeaways * Community land trusts (CLTs) decommodify land and housing: CLTs are democratically controlled, neighborhood‑based nonprofits that acquire and hold land for community benefit, prioritizing security of tenure and affordable homes and commercial spaces over market returns. * Organizing comes before funding: KMCLT’s story shows that successful acquisition and financing (through tools like Toronto’s MURA program and community bonds) only become possible after deep community organizing, knowing your neighbors, and building a shared, representative vision for the neighborhood. * CLTs are part of a broader movement for decolonization and social justice: KMCLT and other members of the Canadian Network of Community Land Trusts are increasingly centring land back, decolonization, and racial justice—redefining community ownership as mutual aid, local power, and long‑term resistance to displacement and gentrification. Chapters: 00:00 – Intro & Episode Overview 00:39 – Introducing Dominique Russell & Kensington Market CLT 01:25 – What Is a Community Land Trust? CLTs vs. Nonprofit Housing 04:13 – Why Kensington? Neighbourhood Preservation and Mission 04:39 – KMCLT’s Buildings on Kensington and Spadina 07:30 – From Anti‑Walmart Campaign to Community Land Trust 10:54 – Organizing Before Funding: Building a Representative CLT 11:04 – Acquisition, MURA, and Protecting Vulnerable Rental Housing 14:23 – Community Bonds and Financing Community Ownership 16:40 – Community Support, Short‑Term Rentals, and Displacement 19:24 – Advice for Communities Wanting to Start a CLT 21:20 – Future of KMCLT: Leadership Transition and Decolonizing Practice 23:30 – Relationship to Chinatown and Business Ecology 26:25 – Love of Place as the Emotional Core of CLT Work 28:58 – Local Organizing and the Wider CLT Movement 29:45 – Reflections & Key Lessons from Kensington Market 30:18 – Outro, Show Notes, and Credits Learn more about the Kensington Market Community Land Trust here: https://kmclt.ca/ New Housing Alternatives is made possible with the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Explore our Vision & Objectives and Research Clusters & Projects, and subscribe to our blog at the link below: https://newhousingalternatives.ca/blog [https://newhousingalternatives.ca/blog]

The Co-operative Comeback

In this episode of New Housing Alternatives, hosts Cherise Burda and Ren Thomas speak with Tim Ross, CEO of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada), about why co‑operative housing is one of Canada’s most promising – and underused – tools for tackling the housing crisis. Tim explains what housing co‑ops are, how they differ from other forms of non‑market housing, and why they offer stability, community, and long-term affordability in ways that market housing often cannot. Drawing on decades of sector experience and recent federal policy wins, Tim walks us through the renewed momentum behind co‑ops: the National Housing Strategy, the $1.5 billion Co-op Housing Development Program, new partnerships with municipalities and the private sector, and landmark projects like the major new co‑op at Toronto’s Eglinton Crosstown site. He also unpacks the practical challenges of growing the sector – from capital repairs in aging co-ops to governance capacity among member‑volunteers – and what it will take to scale co-operative housing across Canada. Key Takeaways * Co-op housing is democratic, community‑centred, and non‑speculative. Members govern through elected boards and collective decision‑making, giving them real power over their housing in ways most nonprofit and private rental models do not. * Co-ops provide security of tenure and long-term affordability. Because they are nonprofit and not traded on speculative markets, co-ops shield members from demovictions, renovictions, and extreme rent hikes. * Co-ops house diverse, mixed‑income communities. They intentionally combine low-income households (often with rent supplements) with seniors, families, students, newcomers, and workers in one stable community. * Policy is finally catching up after decades of neglect. Following years of federal withdrawal from non‑market housing, the National Housing Strategy and CHF Canada’s advocacy have secured $1.5B for new co-op development, $500M in rental assistance, and new sector support. * Co-op rents increasingly outpace the market—in a good way. CHF Canada’s research shows co-op housing charges were already $150–$200/month below comparable private rents and, by 2021, the gap had widened to $400–$500/month, generating major long-term savings for members. Chapters: 00:00 – Intro & Episode Overview 00:21 – Introducing Tim Ross & CHF Canada 02:10 – What Is Co-op Housing? Governance, Tenure & Community 04:45 – Why Don’t We See More Co-ops? Policy Gaps & “Tortoise vs. Hare” Development 07:30 – Who Lives in Co-ops? Mixed-Income Models & Diverse Households 11:20 – Member Governance, Volunteer Roles & Capacity Challenges 14:30 – Aging Co-ops, Capital Planning & Renewal Needs 15:52 – Can Co-ops Grow? Financing Tools & the Co-op Housing Development Program 18:25 – Public Land, Federal Programs & Scaling New Co-op Supply 21:15 – Private Sector Partnerships & the Eglinton Crosstown Co-op Project 21:37 – Affordability: How Co-op Rents Compare to Market Rents Over Time 23:57 – Public Opinion, Polling Results & Cross‑Partisan Support for Co-ops 27:01 – Where to Learn More: CHF Canada Resources & Getting Involved 27:43 – Outro & Credits Learn more about CHF Canada and co-operative housing development on their website and social channels, including their “build” section for organizations interested in starting or expanding co-ops: https://chfcanada.coop/build/why-build/ New Housing Alternatives is made possible with the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Explore our Vision & Objectives and Research Clusters & Projects, and subscribe to our blog at the link below: https://newhousingalternatives.ca/blog/ [https://newhousingalternatives.ca/blog/]

Racialized Evictions and AI in the Rental Housing System

In this episode of New Housing Alternatives, hosts Cherise Burda and Ren Thomas speak with Dr. Nemoy Lewis about how race, transit investment, and financialized landlords intersect to drive evictions in Toronto’s rental housing market, and how emerging uses of AI risk making things worse. Drawing on years of research into evictions, multifamily acquisitions, and transit-oriented development, Dr. Lewis shows that Toronto’s eviction crisis is not random. Instead, eviction filings are highly concentrated in Black renter–majority neighborhoods, particularly in the northwest quadrant of the city and along new transit corridors. Key Takeaways * Evictions in Toronto are not random: they form a predictable, racialized geography of harm, with Black renter–majority neighborhoods facing eviction rates up to five to seven times the city average. * Even when controlling for income, Black renters, including middle‑income households, experience disproportionately high eviction filings, showing eviction is a structural, not individual, problem. * The northwest quadrant of Toronto and communities like North Albion (Rexdale), Chalkfarm, Jane and Finch, and Little Jamaica are among the hardest hit, especially around new transit investments. * Financialized and corporate landlords drive most evictions: about 80–85% of filings occur in the primary rental market, and eviction is often used as a business strategy to “reposition” properties and attract higher‑income tenants. * Large-scale transit projects trigger waves of multifamily acquisitions in historically disinvested, racialized neighborhoods, followed by spikes in eviction filings. * AI tools are increasingly used in rent setting and tenant screening, potentially enabling collusion, removing human discretion, and embedding racial bias into housing decisions. * Strengthening competition law, recognizing housing as a social good, and adopting vacancy control (tying rent control to the unit, not the tenancy) are key policy directions to disincentivize eviction-driven profit strategies and better protect renters. Chapters: 00:00 – Intro & Episode Overview 00:37 – Introducing Dr. Nimoy Lewis 02:06 – Research Goals & Eviction Patterns 05:18 – Beyond Downtown: Northwest Toronto Focus 08:44 – Who Is Being Evicted and Why 14:12 – Transit Investment & Property Repositioning 19:40 – AI, Rent Setting, and Tenant Screening 23:26 – Policy Responses & Vacancy Control 26:26 – Where to Learn More About the Research 27:53 – Outro & Credits Learn more about Nemoy Lewis Here. [https://www.torontomu.ca/school-of-urban-and-regional-planning/about/people/faculty/nemoy-lewis/] New Housing Alternatives is made possible with the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Explore our Vision & Objectives and Research Clusters & Projects, and subscribe to our blog at the link below: https://newhousingalternatives.ca/blog/ [https://newhousingalternatives.ca/blog/]

The Tenant Class

In this episode of the New Housing Alternatives podcast, hosts Cherise Burda and Ren Thomas are joined by Ricardo Tranjan, senior researcher at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and author of "The Tenant Class." Together, they explore the evolving landscape of tenant rights, the growing influence of corporate landlords, and the urgent need for tenant-focused research and organizing to confront Canada’s affordability crisis. The conversation provides deep insight into power dynamics, policy history, and the challenges and opportunities faced by tenants and their advocates. Learning Objectives: * Understand the historical context of tenant rights and rent control in Canada, and how regulations have weakened over time. * Recognize the shift from local, “mom and pop” landlords to corporate landlords and real estate investment trusts (REITs). * Analyze how global capital impacts housing affordability and the market’s power dynamics. * Differentiate between research about tenants and research for tenants, and why this distinction matters. * Reflect on the constant and persistent challenges facing tenant organizers and the importance of direct resource allocation. * Identify effective strategies for building power among grassroots tenant organizations. Key Takeaways: * Tenant protections in Canada have been historically limited and weakened, despite the worsening affordability crisis. * The influx of global capital and the rise of large corporate landlords have fundamentally changed the rental landscape, intensifying power imbalances. * Effective advocacy for tenants requires not just studying their challenges, but supporting organizing efforts and shifting resources into tenant movements. * Grassroots tenant organizers face persistent threats, including rent increases, eviction, and predatory landlord practices—often with few resources. * Building lasting power for tenant movements requires civil society and academic sectors to re-channel time, funding, and research toward direct support and organizing. * Regulatory interventions to control capital and prioritize tenant protections are essential for meaningful change. Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction: Hosts, guest, and episode overview 02:00 – The history of tenant rights and rent control in Canada 05:00 – The emergence of corporate landlords and the power shift in housing 08:00 – Global capital’s influence on the rental market 11:00 – Distinguishing research about tenants from research for tenants 14:00 – Persistent challenges and the realities of grassroots tenant organizing 17:00 – The need for resource redirection and building power in tenant organizing 20:00 – Action items, resources, and closing remarks New Housing Alternatives is made possible with the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Explore our Vision & Objectives and Research Clusters & Projects, and subscribe to our blog at the link below: https://newhousingalternatives.ca/blog/ [https://newhousingalternatives.ca/blog/]