A Different Kind of Conference Session: Community Power's Housing Improvement Game

From January to March, Kambo’s Community Power team hit the road, travelling to Nanaimo, Kelowna, Chilliwack, and Prince George to present at the 2026 Housing Forums. Hosted by the First Nations Housing & Infrastructure Council (FNHIC) and the BC First Nations Housing Managers Association (BCFNHMA), these forums brought together housing managers, infrastructure partners, funders, and Nation leadership to collaborate, connect, and share stories to advance safe, sustainable, and culturally grounded housing across all Nations.  

‍

As presenters, we wanted to contribute in a way that would bring people inside the reality of housing projects and leave a lasting impact long after they left the room.  

‍

So instead of another slide deck, we brought a board game.

‍

Our team has the privilege of working directly with Nations and community members, supporting them through every stage of the home improvement process, from initial assessments and project funding to housing development and long-term asset management. This work gives us an intimate understanding of the roadblocks housing teams face every day, because we experience them firsthand.  

‍

Over the last 15 years, Community Power has partnered with over 70 Nations throughout Western Canada, and we believe there is real value in making housing challenges visible and giving people a chance to work through them together. Using the board game format, we built an interactive framework to bring these challenges to life in a room full of people.

‍

The Housing Improvement Game compresses a full housing project journey into about 30 minutes. In this fast-paced, workshop-style activity, participants step into the role of a community housing team tasked with designing and implementing housing and energy projects in rural and Indigenous communities. Along the way, they must navigate unpredictable complexity while balancing a range of internal and external opportunities and constraints.

‍

For many attendees, it was their conference highlight. Having played the game with hundreds of people from different sectors and backgrounds, we've seen why it resonates. It isn't just that it's a novel approach; it's the honesty it creates. There are moments of laughter, tension, and more than a few "yeah, that's exactly what happens" reactions from the room. Players recognize themselves in the challenges. They disagree, work through conflict, and come out the other side with something real: perspective, connection, and a shared commitment to doing this work better.

‍

At Community Power, we understand the complexity of housing and energy projects. We work with Nations to navigate planning, funding, and delivering meaningful improvements that align with community goals and priorities. We know what it takes because we’re in it with the teams doing the work every day. This game brings that reality into the room: the pressure, the trade-offs, and the satisfaction of working through it together.

‍

Behind every housing improvement project are good people doing complex, important work. The more we can understand each other's challenges, the better we can move forward together.

‍

Are you interested in bringing the game to your next gathering? We'd love to hear from you.

‍

Contact Tim McCormick, Senior Manager, Partnerships & Project Design, at tim.mccormick@kambo.com.  
‍