What We Do for Home Owners
You own property. You’ve watched housing prices climb while wondering if your children will ever be able to afford their own home. You can see the housing crunch in your community, but it’s hard to know what you can do about it.
Here’s the good news: with new gentle-density legislation and the right tools, you don’t need to be a professional developer to add housing on your property. You just need clarity on what’s possible—and a practical path to make it happen.
Citizen Builders are homeowners unlocking housing potential on their own properties—adding one or more homes (where permitted), creating long-term rental options, and building financial resilience for their families.
What It Does?
Build Wealth Through Citizen Development
For most Canadians, their home is their largest asset—but it’s typically a passive one that grows only when the market rises. Citizen development helps you unlock active value from your property while it continues to appreciate.
Generate Rental Income
Adding an ADU (laneway home or garden suite), creating a secondary suite, or converting/rebuilding to multiple units (where permitted) can generate rental income that may help you:
- Offset mortgage payments or accelerate payoff
- Build retirement income Create generational wealth, increase financial flexibility and long-term security
Rental income varies by municipality, unit type, size, finish, and utilities. As a rough example, laneway homes in Metro Vancouver are commonly advertised across a wide range—often around $1,800 to $3,500+ per month depending on the specifics.
Illustration (not a promise): $2,000/month over 20 years is $480,000 in gross rent before expenses, vacancy, repairs, taxes, utilities, and financing costs.
House Family While Building Equity
Need a place for aging parents? Adult children getting crushed by rent? Returning students? An ADU or additional unit can keep family close—while building equity instead of watching rent disappear into someone else’s investment.
This is long-term, practical property development—done responsibly and guided by clear information.
Access Below-Market Financing (Launching Soon)
Four Pillars Community Housing is finalizing a Community Housing Bond initiative to support qualifying projects that create long-term rental housing with measurable community benefit.
- The goal is below-market financing for eligible builds
- Terms and eligibility will be published at launch (target 2%)
- We’ll walk you through government programs, lender options, and the project’s real-world economics—so you can decide with clarity and confidence.
(Translation: we’re building the engine, but we won’t pretend the car is already in your driveway.)
Participate in Government Incentive Programs
Some homeowners may be eligible for federal programs designed to support secondary suites.
For example, the federal Canada Secondary Suite Loan Program (CMHC) has been announced as offering loans up to $80,000 at 2% over 15 years, subject to program rules and eligibility.
We help you understand what programs may apply to your situation—and how they fit with your property, budget, and goals.
Increase Property Value
Properties with additional legal units are often valued higher than comparable single-family properties, because they can offer:
- More income potential
- More flexibility (family, rental, multigenerational use)
- More efficient land use
You’re not only collecting rent—you’re also potentially increasing your overall equity.
Your Realtor guided development platform:
The biggest barrier to adding housing usually isn’t land. It’s knowing where to start:
Zoning rules. Setbacks. Parking. Design Options. Costs. Timelines. Permits. Contractors. Financing. The complexity stops most homeowners before they even begin.
Our Community Housing Ambassadors help remove those barriesr by turning early-stage development planning into a clear, visual, numbers-based process.
What Is Canibuild?
Canibuild is an AI-driven digital platform that helps you explore what your property may support—before you spend significant money on consultants.
Canibuild BC rollout: We’re configuring municipal zoning and site standards across British Columbia now, with broad readiness targeted for end of Q2 2026.
What’s Possible on Your Property
Enter your address, and Canibuild provides a fast preliminary assessment based on available zoning and site data (with expanding municipal coverage through Q2 2026). Final confirmation always depends on municipal approvals and project-specific design.
Canibuild evaluates factors like:
- Lot size and dimensions
- Zoning and development rules
- Setback sand site coverage rules
- Building height
- Parking, access, and practical constraints
You’ll be able to explore scenarios such as:
- ADU / Laneway Home / Garden Suite (detached, commonly 400–1,000 sq ft depending on bylaws)
- Secondary Suite (basement or above-grade)
- Duplex conversion (one home → two units)
- Duplex / Triplex / Fourplex and Sixplexes near Transit Oriented Zones (TOA) (redevelopment, where permitted)
- Combination approaches (e.g., main home + suite + detached unit, where permitted)
The platform helps take away the guess work and gives a clear picture of what you can build.
See What It Could Look Like
Canibuild doesn’t simply list rules—it helps you visualize options:
- 2D and 3D-style views of proposed massing and layouts (as available)
- Multiple design options that fit typical site constraints
- Customizable features (layouts, size ranges, finish assumptions)
- Add additional features i.e. carport, deck, landscaped area
- Better understanding of how a project can fit with your existing home and neighbourhood character.
You’re not imagining abstract concepts—you’re looking at practical options you can discuss with your family, your neighbours (and your municipality).
Understand the Real Costs
Every early-stage assessment should answer: What does this potentially cost, and does it make sense?
Canibuild supports cost and site planning exploration such as:
- Construction cost ranges (market-dependent)
- Permits and approvals (jurisdiction-dependent)
- Soft costs (design, engineering, project management)
- Financing scenarios and monthly carry
- Rental income assumptions (market-dependent)
- Return-on-investment estimates and break-even scenarios
Costs vary. But surprises are optional. We prefer clarity upfront.
Connect With Trusted Partners
Once you decide to move forward, Four Pillars Community Housing helps connect you to the right team:
- Community Housing Ambassadors (Realtors): Professionals trained in gentle-density pathways who can guide you from idea to action
- Designers and Specialists: People who understand small scale multi-unit design and how to navigate approvals.
- Builders and delivery partners: Vetted construction and manufacturing partners
- Financing pathways: Guidance on government programs, traditional lenders, and community financing options
You won’t have to figure this out on your own. Four Pillars Community Housing brings the right team—design, permitting, construction, and financing—so the project can succeed.
How It Works
Step 1:
Explore Your Property
Enter your address into Canibuild and explore what may be possible. No obligation—start with information.
Step 2:
Visualize Your Options
Working with a trained Community Housing Ambassador (Realtor) you can review design paths, see early visualizations, and compare scenarios that match your goals and budget.
Step 3:
Understand Financing
Review cost ranges, carrying costs, and financing pathways—so you can decide based on your real numbers.
Step 4:
Connect With Experts
Your Community Housing Ambassador will help you move from feasibility to execution—introducing you to the experts required to help you become a Citizen Builder (ie. General Contractors in your area, permitting specialist and presenting financing support.)
Step 5:
Build Generational Wealth
Turn your plan into real housing—adding long-term rental options in your community while strengthening your family’s financial position.
You Don’t Need to Be a Developer
Professional developers have teams, experience, and capital. You have something just as valuable: your property, your goals, and the ability to act locally.
Citizen development isn’t about becoming a real estate mogul. It’s about:
- Making smart decisions with your largest asset
- Adding housing options in your community through gentle density
- Taking advantage of legislative changes that didn’t exist three years ago
- Getting expert guidance and better tools so you can proceed responsibly
Thousands of homeowners across Canada are moving in this direction. With Canibuild and Four Pillars Community Housing, you can too.
See What’s Possible on Your Property
In just a few minutes, your Community Housing Ambassador can explore development potential, compare design paths, and understand realistic costs and returns—so you can make the best decision for your family and your community.