I got a tour of the new Jubilee House under construction this March, when it was still hardhat and steel-toed-boot territory, because the people at the 127 Society for Housing wanted me to do what they were doing.
I’ve seen a lot of social-housing buildings in my 20-plus years covering this, but I have to say, I was really impressed with all the new ideas. I couldn’t fit them all into my story here, but they included new anti-bedbug measures, including a baking room for stuff that does get infested, design strategies that make it easier to fix burns and holes in floors and messes on walls, as well as several anti-flood mechanisms. Along with that, the new building includes a new kitchen for making group meals for tenants, a small store that sells basic supplies, and a new library.
BC Housing has already incorporated some of these ideas earlier, but is looking at others it might steal for future projects. Personally, as a mother, there were ideas that I would have liked to see in my own house when my son was at peak teen.