Author: houselabahsl

The Equity and Inclusion in Housing Design (EIHD) project set out to address a persistent problem within housing: people living with disabilities have the most to gain from accessible housing, but have historically been the least involved in creating it. Over the course of this project, we built an equity-centred process for meaningfully involving people […]

Growing supply is required to address the housing needs of Canadians. While policy gurus and pundits shout “build, build, build,” Dr. Barry Johns challenges us to think critically about “supply” and the way in which it is being pursued today in cities like Edmonton.  Dr. Barry Johns is a renowned architect, educator, design critic and […]

By Lauren Slevinsky The Equity and Inclusion in Housing Design (EIHD) project is focused on design processes. More specifically, our project is about centering equity in design. This means thinking carefully about how we involve people living with disabilities and future users in formulating design goals and ‘must haves’ in the pre-design phase. As discussed […]

By Lauren Slevinsky This work is supported by:

By Lauren Slevinsky Introduction Inclusive co-design is a nuanced approach used in the creation of accessible environments. As we have learned thus far, this approach puts people living with disability at the center of the design process in ways that work for them. It is important, therefore, that these individuals are included as more than […]

Photo Description: Two individuals sitting at a table and writing on a post-it note. Introduction Too often, the needs of disabled people are an afterthought in the design of built environments including housing. This desire for built environments that are accessible to all people has led to the development of new design paradigms. One of […]

The Equity and Inclusion in Housing and Design (EIHD) project is grounded in the lived experiences of community members and driven by a commitment to accessibility, affordability, and meaningful involvement. At its core, the project seeks to establish best practices for co-designing housing with people with disabilities, centering their voices in shaping the environments that […]

The Affordable Housing Solutions Lab has completed the initial research phases of the “Centering Equity in the Inclusive Design of Housing: Co-Designing with People Living with Disabilities” or “Equity and Inclusion in Housing Design” (EIHD) project. This project aims to address the growing need for accessible and affordable housing by establishing best practices for meaningfully […]

For the past 3 years, the Affordable Housing and Solutions Lab has been supporting At Home in Highlands (AHiH), a neighbourhood group formed by residents living in Highlands, a mature neighbourhood in east Edmonton, Alberta. A report detailing this project is available here. AHiH group members came together roughly 10 years ago around a shared […]

The Equity and Inclusion in Housing and Design project is driven by the lived and living experiences of community members. What follows is an abridged compilation of writings authored by Dr. Mark Iantkow, an accessibility expert who has written extensively about inclusive design. Mark has an eye condition that has led to his vision gradually […]

Joshua Evans Associate Professor of Human Geography University of Alberta Image created with OpenAI. This week, Edmonton City Council meets to approve the rezoning of several parcels for affordable housing, including a surplus school site. A former school site may seem disconnected from the crisis of homelessness but it is in fact a crucial part […]

By Elliott Elm, MSc. Planning (University of Alberta) What is “vehicle dwelling”? How common is it?  Vehicle dwelling represents both those who choose to live in their vehicles and those who are sheltering in their vehicles as a last resort. This can be an emergency, a seasonal, or a long-term option. Due to housing barriers, […]

Centering Equity in the Inclusive Design of Housing: Co-Designing with People Living with Disabilities An exciting new participatory action research project has begun at the University of Alberta. Funded by the Alberta Real Estate Foundation and coordinated through the Affordable Housing Solutions Lab, the Equity and Inclusion in Housing Design (EIHD) project will involve people […]