SURREY, BC, Oct. 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FVREB is calling for bold action to unlock the potential of prefab and modular homes as one of the key solutions to British Columbia's housing crisis. His new report We build faster, smartersets out nine practical policy recommendations to help governments, industry and communities build more homes quickly, sustainably and affordably.
The report highlights how factory-built housing can reduce construction waste by up to 70 percent, reduce on-site emissions by more than 40 percent, and deliver homes in half the time of traditional methods. However, inconsistent municipal zoning, outdated permitting standards and limited funding options continue to slow implementation.
“We only need to look at countries like Sweden and Germany to know that Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Build Canada Homes (BCH) team are committed to what we need to embrace in Canada – affordable housing at scale,” said Tore Jacobsen, Chairman of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board and Stakeholder and Government Relations Committee (SGRC).
The FVREB report makes several key recommendations, including:
- Harmonize municipal zoning to facilitate replication of prefabricated housing across communities.
- Creating a provincial procurement roadmap to ensure predictable and long-term demand for modular housing.
- Establishing a “ready-to-prefab” lending stream under CMHC's Apartment Construction Lending Program to improve financing options.
- Empowering Indigenous leadership through modular housing procurement and manufacturing partnerships.
- Expanding TradeUpBC funding to train and prepare workers for modular and offsite construction.
“At FVREB, we believe that prefab and modular construction represent one practical and innovative way forward that will enable more homes to be built quickly, sustainably and affordably,” said Baldev Gill, CEO of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. “We look forward to working with governments and industry partners to make these recommendations a reality.”
FVREB's call to action comes as the prefabricated building industry is growing rapidly around the world and in Canada. McKinsey predicts the modular construction industry will reach $130 billion in Europe and the United States by 2030, and Business Wire predicts prefabricated building production in Canada will grow 5.6 percent in 2024 to C$18.5 billion and grow 5.3 percent CAGR to reach 22.8 billion Canadian dollars by 2028.
“Canadians are facing one of the most pressing housing affordability challenges in our history,” Jacobsen said. “Offsite construction must be a key strategic element in our efforts to increase supply at the pace required to bring affordability under control.”
To read the full report, click Here.
*The Fraser Valley Real Estate Council is an association of over 5,100 real estate professionals who live and work in the British Columbia communities of Abbotsford, Langley, Mission, North Delta, Surrey and White Rock.
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