http://www.kansascityhousehunter.com/?p=302

reviewed by Moishe Alexander, CFC CEO

Working with data from the 2001 Census, the City of Winnipeg identified its Spence and Centennial neighbourhoods as areas for major improvement: they have high proportions of one-person households and low-income households. There was a clear need for affordable housing—and the City had several infill lots that might be able to accommodate low-income singles and students, given the right design choice and “fit” with the neighbourhood.
Meanwhile, the Province of Manitoba, through the Winnipeg Housing and Homelessness Initiative (WHHI), put out a call for affordable housing proposals. S.A.M. Properties, a non-profit corporation that has 30 years’ experience in managing social housing, and MMM Group advanced the idea of “pocket housing” as an alternative to rooming houses. These were two-storey houses with eight studio-sized units, including one fully accessible and three barrier-free suites; each unit would have a separate entrance, ventilation, kitchen and washroom facilities—providing a measure of privacy and independence that traditional rooming houses lack.
To secure WHHI funding, the proposal had to gain the approval of the communities themselves—so S.A.M. Properties and MMM Group talked to community organizations, who were able to help identify available lots where the width and zoning would work for pocket housing. These meetings also served to allay concerns about the kind of residential mix that pocket housing might attract: S.A.M. Properties encouraged individuals in the community to rent the suites. Residents were also impressed by S.A.M. Properties’ commitment to staying in touch with community organizations and to making monthly visits to the homes—through its sister company, S.A.M. (Management) Inc. to ensure that they were run properly.
Building on infill lots often requires unique design solutions, says Marty Lapedus, so there were approval challenges to overcome: for example, some of the suites did not meet the minimum area required by the zoning by-laws, nor were there enough parking stalls to meet the by-law requirements. However, with demonstrated community backing, MMM Group made a strong case to the City of Winnipeg for allowing these variances. This led to an approval for funding from WHHI, while the City sold the lots to SAM Properties for $1 each.
Today, four pocket houses add colour and character to Winnipeg’s Spence and Centennial neighbourhoods, while providing an attractive, affordable and private space for 32 single individuals.

With a growing population of more than 6,200, the Cross Lake Band of Indians (CLBI) faces a substantial housing backlog. Like many communities aiming to create affordable housing, the Band has limited funds. As well, Cross Lake is 450 km (280 mi.) north of Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba, where winter temperatures often dip to -40°C (-40°F), so conserving energy and money are essentially the same thing.

The Band contracted White Horse Management Group to create a new subdivision on the Cross Lake reserve, partnering with Southern Comfort Mechanical, Inc, which specializes in geothermal heating.

Together, they arrived at a design that would build on a thickened-edge concrete slab interlaced with pipes to allow for geothermal heating and cooling—which is safer and saves on operating costs.

Slab-on-grade construction helps prevent flooding and avoids the use of sump pumps, which can be prone to failure. Perhaps most importantly, geothermal heating would substantially reduce the burning of fossil fuels both during construction and in the operation of the house; this attracted $4.4M in funding from Manitoba Hydro, which has been promoting green and efficient energy solutions for Manitobans.

However, curing concrete slabs in cold weather remained a challenge.

Traditional heating methods were energy-intensive and created an uneven cure. The engineers proposed an innovative solution: why not use cheaper, movable propane water heaters and run a warm glycol fluid through the slab?

Through the use of in-slab heating and construction of a cover-all enclosure, the heat would spread evenly through the slab, and contribute directly to the curing, rather than heating the surrounding air. Ultimately, the concrete slabs cured in 3–4 days, with a daily heating cost reduced to $124 from $584, and allowed construction to run continuously, translating into a savings in labour and more efficient use of equipment.

The Billy Halcrow Subdivision is an affordable group of 34 three-bedroom housing units with the usual amenities of a rural neighbourhood, such as paved roads, piped water and sewer and street lighting—and a geothermal heating and cooling system that is unique in First Nation communities in Canada. But the subdivision might not be unique for long: other communities are interested in replicating CLBI’s success, and Band representatives have been invited to give presentations about it across the West and on Aboriginal Peoples Television Network.