Home Work

In early 2022, construction began on a small lot in Kitchener-Waterloo. By year’s end, 41 women who had been without stable housing – some in shelters, others staying with friends – signed leases and moved into new apartments. Their names appeared on mailboxes for the first time in years.

The project was led by Karen Shlesinger, program director at the Tim and Frances Price Urban Lab at York University’s Schulich School of Business. Working with engineers, housing advocates and private financiers, her team set out to prove that supportive housing could move faster when partners focused on shared goals.

“People assume the hardest part is technical,” Shlesinger says. “Really, it’s about aligning incentives.”

Prefabricated units allowed construction, financing and approvals to advance in tandem, shortening the build timeline and cutting costs. Rents were set below market to help residents move from precarious living arrangements into long-term stability. Within a year, the women were moving in – and other cities were calling to learn how it happened.

The project won awards for its speed and innovation, followed by a second phase adding apartments for women‑led families. With new support from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Shlesinger’s team created a practical guide to help community groups replicate the model.

The manual maps out timelines, obstacles and financing solutions to scale the approach across 28 YWCA sites nationwide. “Our work focuses on business model innovation,” Shlesinger says. “We want to attract both private and public investment to make these projects possible elsewhere.”

Today, the same framework is being adopted in cities from Halifax to Winnipeg. For women who have waited years through endless plans and promises, the next wave of move‑ins is already scheduled. ■