Open Housing Canada
A national open-source housing data and AI commons to accelerate affordable housing across Canada.
Housing Data
Modern, Data-Driven Housing Intelligence
Our Approach
Open Housing Canada delivers clean, credible, public-interest housing intelligence. We provide the institutional foundation that governments, planners, and industry partners need to make evidence-based decisions.
Built for Collaboration
We unite diverse stakeholders around a shared data infrastructure. From urban planners evaluating infill opportunities to developers seeking regulatory clarity, OHC provides the authoritative, standardized information that accelerates housing production.
Our Founders
Open Housing Canada is a not-for-profit founded by Mike Kennedy, PhD and Thor Jensen, PhD to address one of Canada's most critical infrastructure gaps: fragmented, inaccessible, and inconsistent housing data.
Thor Jensen, PhD CFA
Director
Thor.Jensen@openhousingcanada.ca
Mike Kennedy, PhD
Director
Mike.Kennedy@openhousingcanada.ca
Canada's First Open Housing Intelligence Infrastructure
Open Housing Canada represents a fundamental shift in how Canada approaches housing data. We're building the nation's first comprehensive, standardized, and openly accessible housing intelligence system.
Zoning, By Laws and Policy Digitization Standardization
Unified parcel rules, density allowances, setbacks, heights, and land-use constraints across jurisdictions
Environmental Integration
Hazard mapping and Nature Strategy–aligned datasets for sustainable development
Offsite Construction Pathways
Digital designs , modern construction methods and accelerated permit approvals give offsite manufacturing insights into their regional sales pipeline
Research Publishing
Open datasets and standardized data & design repository give researchers data to deliver new insights.
Bringing data layers together to build and test investment theses
Building Code
How you must build
Local Zoning Bylaws
Where/what you can build
Demographic Info.
Who can afford the building
Local Market Econ.
What the market values
Clarity, Predictability, and a More Efficient Housing Pipeline
For developers and manufacturers, OHC eliminates uncertainty and reduces the soft costs that make housing projects financially marginal. Our platform transforms months of feasibility analysis into instant, data-driven insights.
Rapid Site Analysis
Identify buildable lots and optimal housing typologies immediately. No more waiting weeks for zoning reports or feasibility studies. OHC provides comprehensive site intelligence in seconds.
Lower Soft Costs
Eliminate redundant surveys, rezoning assessments, and preliminary feasibility work. OHC consolidates information that traditionally required multiple consultants and extended timelines.
Modular Integration
Generate modular-compatible design packages automatically. Our system identifies sites suitable for panelized, volumetric, and hybrid construction methods.
Manufacturer Advantages
BuildBloxAI integration provides seamless connection to manufacturing workflows. From initial design through bill of materials generation to production scheduling, OHC data feeds directly into modular ERP systems.
Manufacturers gain unprecedented visibility into the development pipeline, enabling better capacity planning and throughput optimization. Standardized designs reduce engineering costs while maintaining flexibility for site-specific adaptation.
60%
Soft Cost Reduction
Average decrease in pre-development expenses
10x
Analysis Speed
Faster site feasibility assessment
40%
Time Savings
Reduction in approval timelines
Training the Next Generation of Housing Data Leaders
Open Housing Canada's research and student program represents a strategic investment in Canada's housing future. By partnering with universities and industry, we're building both the nation's largest open housing dataset and the skilled workforce needed to maintain and expand it.
Student Opportunities
We fund students from Master of Business Analytics (MBAN), Master of Data Science (MDS), engineering, and planning programs to contribute to Canada's housing data infrastructure. Students gain real-world experience working with municipal zoning bylaws, parcel data, and environmental datasets.
This hands-on work develops critical skills in data standardization, geospatial analysis, and housing policy while creating tangible public benefit. Students build portfolios that demonstrate expertise in an emerging field where demand far exceeds supply.
Academic Partnership
Our collaboration with UBC Abacus ensures all student work contributes to a permanent, openly accessible national research infrastructure. Standardized data models for zoning and housing rules enable researchers across Canada to conduct comparative analysis and policy evaluation.
This partnership transforms student projects from isolated exercises into contributions to national housing capacity. Faculty gain access to unique datasets while students see their work create lasting impact.
Indigenous Housing Leaders
Open Housing Canada partners with Indigenous housing leaders to co-develop open data tools, AI insights, and delivery pathways that respect Indigenous data sovereignty (OCAP®), strengthen local capacity, and accelerate community-led housing from planning to construction.
We make our data and tools available to housing managers, economic development professionals working to improving housing on Indigenous lands in Canada
1
Recruit
Partner with universities and communities to identify people with relevant technical and policy interests
2
Train
Provide structured learning in housing data standardization and analysis methods
3
Build
Students develop standardized datasets for specific municipalities or regions
4
Publish
Work is reviewed and released with respect for privacy, confidentiality and sovereignty.
Supporting Indigenous-Led Housing Growth
Open Housing Canada's approach to Indigenous partnerships recognizes that data sovereignty and cultural priorities must be embedded from the beginning, not added as afterthoughts. We work alongside Nations to ensure housing intelligence serves community-defined goals.
Data Sovereignty First
All Indigenous housing data adheres to OCAP® (Ownership, Control, Access, Possession), CARE (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics), and FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles. Nations retain complete control over their data, deciding what information is shared and with whom.
Culturally-Informed Site Selection
Our platform supports site evaluation that respects cultural significance, traditional land use, and ecological stewardship practices. Environmental data layers integrate with Indigenous knowledge systems to identify appropriate development locations.
Community-Centered Design
Generative design tools adapt to Nation-specific housing needs, from multi-generational family configurations to community gathering spaces. BuildBloxAI's flexibility ensures designs reflect cultural values and contemporary needs.
Long-Term Capacity Building
We invest in partnerships that build lasting technical capacity within Nations. Training programs, technology transfer, and sustained collaboration ensure communities can independently manage housing intelligence infrastructure.
Nation-Led Growth
OHC provides tools, not prescriptions. Indigenous communities use new tools to advance self-determined housing strategies that balance growth with land stewardship, economic development with cultural continuity, and innovation with tradition.
Our role is to ensure technical infrastructure supports Indigenous housing leadership.
Join the National Movement to Modernize Housing Data
Open Housing Canada succeeds through collaboration. Whether you're a government official seeking better tools for housing policy, a manufacturer looking to expand into new markets, a researcher studying housing systems, or a Nation planning community growth, OHC provides the infrastructure you need.
Government Partners
Federal, provincial, and municipal governments can integrate OHC data into existing planning and approval systems. We provide technical support, training, and ongoing collaboration.
Industry Partners
Developers, manufacturers, and construction firms gain access to market intelligence, standardized designs, and streamlined workflows that reduce risk and accelerate production.
Academic Partners
Universities and research institutions access comprehensive datasets for housing policy analysis, urban planning research, and student training in emerging housing data science fields.
Indigenous Partners
Nations exploring housing growth strategies receive culturally-appropriate tools, capacity building support, and data sovereignty assurances that respect Indigenous governance.
Building Canada's Housing Future Together
Open Housing Canada is forging strategic partnerships with leading housing builders across the nation. These collaborations are pivotal in transforming how residential projects are conceptualized, developed, and delivered, paving the way for a more efficient and sustainable housing ecosystem. Formal announcements are anticipated soon, marking a significant milestone in our collective mission.
ANNOUNCEMENTS COMING SOON.
Building Canada's Housing Future Together
Open Housing Canada
2028 w 11th Ave, Vancouver, BC V6J 2C9