Often times the simplest solutions to the most complex problems are right under our feet. With our company this is quite literally the case.
It has been a passion for us to create affordable homes for people in need for a long time. We searched and searched on ways to do this. We looked at grants, loans from CMHC, and other government initiatives, and although there is a lot of support and we mean billions of dollars in federal support, yet even with all this support, there is still something lacking.
When we look at these large projects, the scale is just too big for the average person to connect with and certainly beyond the scope of local contractors and add to that it takes years to build. When thinking about this we thought about how we can intensify our communities without building more roads, or city services, while using our existing infrastructure like buses as an example. We thought of how our city and others like it across the country are evolving, for example an aging population who want to stay in their homes as long as they can. On the flip side, this is also causing low inventory for home buyers which further affects home prices. So where will today’s young people go when the cost of an average Canadian home in 2020 is $604,000 according to the Canadian Real Estate Association? Quite simply put the lack of housing is causing rents to rise at alarming rates.
Lastly, investing in real estate for the purpose of creating affordable rental spaces is not cost effective due to the very same issue facing home buyers; the cost of the house. So how can we navigate through all of these problems and find a solution that is cost effective, immediately available, and integrates community? We believe basement apartments and backyard accessory dwellings are the way to go.
Think about this; there are likely hundreds or even thousands of homes in cities across the country with under-utilized basements? The older widow, might like some company or perhaps someone to cut the grass. The young couple who are willing to help their landlord and need an affordable place to live.
There are many homeowners who have thought about building a basement apartment but the idea often remains, well, just an idea. Their lack of knowledge, lack of funds, and fear from the municipalities finding something wrong with their home all contribute to homeowner paralysis. Not to mention the idea of managing tenants. We have all heard the stories of horrible tenants and the stigma of “those people” taint the prospects of excellent tenants.
Radical Housing thought about removing all of those objections so that all people have a chance to live in an affordable home and be apart of vibrants cities across Canada.
We will build your apartment with no up-front-cost to you, manage the construction and even find and manage tenants.
