You may be familiar with the passive house concept - which is defined as an international standard that “is recognized by the United Nations as the optimal way to build healthy, climate-resilient, affordable, and energy-efficient residential, institutional, and commercial buildings through all stages of design, construction, and livability” from showcase, one-off homes built in affluent neighbourhoods in major cities around the world.
But in Canada social housing organizations are leading the way in the construction of new or renovation of existing housing to passive house standards. This means that the most vulnerable who have been impacted so powerfully by the pandemic, the affordable housing crisis and often by climate change too, are given a chance to live in comfortable, sustainable and low cost homes.
In a recent interview, Sean Botham, manager of development for CityHousing Hamilton, says that “designing and constructing a green building doesn't cost much more than a conventional building”. And as Graham Cubitt, director of projects and development for Indwell, a Hamilton-based Christian charity that builds supportive housing and has embraced the passive house standard, states “social housing providers are responsible for their buildings for decades, so they have to think long-term. And governments are putting in measures to deal with climate change, like carbon taxes and bans on oil and gas heating.” Social housing providers would be hard pressed to find resources, even with government assistance, to retrofit buildings so it just makes sense to build them the right way from the beginning.
Of course it’s also important that those occupying these buildings constructed to passive house standards enjoy them. He rarely turns on the heat pump that controls the temperature in his unit and typically gets money back at the end of the year from the utility company.
It is inspiring that so many social housing organizations have jumped on board to offer such high quality, low cost and long-term sustainable options for the folks they house. What is your area doing to make sure that social and low income housing, that will need to last for decades, is built to be as climate friendly as possible?