Wartime housing solutions proposed in Hamilton’s ongoing crisis

The federal government announced a $93 million investment in housing in Hamilton that will take years to take full effect, but some are looking to wartime-era housing solutions to provide faster solutions to a growing issue.

Federal Minister Filomena Tassi announced the investment Tuesday as a bid to help Hamilton speed up home construction.

“We need fundamental changes to how we build homes in this country,” said Minster Tassi.

Today, I was pleased to announce that the @cityofhamilton will receive over $93M in incentive payments through the Housing Accelerator Fund to deliver significant, lasting changes to the way homes are built in Hamilton and deliver over 2,600 additional housing permits. pic.twitter.com/9Q9uLWgrNZ

— Filomena Tassi (@FilomenaTassi) October 10, 2023

However, the minister says the programs stemming from the investment, such as the government’s $4 billion Housing Accelerator Fund, will take time.

WATCH MORE: Filomena Tassi makes a federal housing announcement in Hamilton at 9 a.m.

This isn’t the first housing crisis to hit cities like Hamilton. The Second World War saw a housing crisis hitting across the country as there was a growing shortage for those working in the war industry, followed by a flood of returning soldiers in need of somewhere to live.

Nearly 80 years ago the federal government’s Wartime Housing Corporation launched a home-building program.

Built in the 1940s, 50s, and early 60s, they were known as Victory or Strawberry Box houses because of their resemblance to fruit crates.

These homes are still standing across Canada, with some of the streets of areas like Hamilton’s east mountain lined with the war-time bungalows and one-and-a-half storey houses adorned with what have become iconic steep roofs.

WATCH MORE: Housing minister says Hamilton ‘still in control’ of developing on expanded urban boundary

The builds provided the modest and affordable homes that were needed at the time.

Today #HamOnt became the 3rd city in CA to receive $$ from the Federal Housing Accelerator Fund. The $93.5mil will speed up the creation of housing through 7 initiatives, including zoning reform, accelerated permit response times to land acquisition, and brownfield development. pic.twitter.com/A4dDFC5uGg

— Andrea Horwath (@AndreaHorwath) October 10, 2023

Architects are now calling for federal governments to revive these kinds of buildings in areas that are struggling to build housing.

Hamilton’s mayor Andrea Horwath says governments are in need of new programs to get housing built and the wartime idea may be a good one.

“I think every solution has to be on the table because we’re facing a crisis we haven’t faced in decades.”

WATCH MORE: Tiny shelters in Hamilton park cancelled due to costs that are ‘too significant’