Toronto, May 21, 2026 – R-LABS is pleased to welcome Heather Tremain, Managing Partner at New Market Funds to the R-LABS Industry Issue + Transformation (I+T) Council.
R-LABS is a venture builder focused exclusively on the real estate and housing industry that partners with entrepreneurs and corporate innovators to identify specific problems in the sector and create Industry Innovation through technology-enabled business models. These models develop solutions that can be piloted locally and scaled globally to drive meaningful change in real estate and housing.
The I+T Council brings together an industry-leading group of organizations and leaders focused on advancing innovation across real estate and housing, including representatives from HICC, RESCON, BILD, REALPAC, TRREB, Infrastructure Ontario, York University Development Corporation, Great Vancouver Realtors (GVR), Nch’ḵay̓ Development Corporation, CAGBC, FRPO, CreateTO, Canadian Urban Institute and Toronto Region Board of Trade.
In addition to her role at New Market Funds, a Canadian multi-fund manager focused on delivering investment opportunities that generate both lasting community benefit and financial returns, Heather serves as Executive Director of CHFT Development Society, a newly created organization focused on advancing the development and acquisition of new co-operative housing in the Greater Toronto Area.
Heather serves as a Board Member with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) Société canadienne d’hypothèques et de logement(SCHL) Canada’s national housing agency, which supports housing affordability and stability through financing solutions, research, data, and housing programs delivered on behalf of the Government of Canada. She also serves on the Board of the Nch’ḵay̓ Development Corporation, which is responsible for developing, managing, and growing businesses that generate sustainable wealth and opportunity for the Squamish People.
“Heather brings a rare combination of strategic insight, operational depth, and a deep commitment to driving meaningful innovation in the built environment. Her leadership in advancing complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives, particularly her work aligning public and private partners to deliver impactful housing and infrastructure solutions, reflects both the rigor and collaboration needed to move the industry forward. This experience aligns strongly with R-LABS’ mission to tackle our sector’s most pressing challenges. We are thrilled to welcome Heather to the I+T Council and look forward to the perspective, energy, and impact she will bring to our collective work.” – George Carras
“I see R-LABS as a unique and important organization in Canadian real estate – one that brings key players together to innovate and strength the system by incubating new system elements and players. We are in a moment that calls for a transformation of the real estate sector, in particular to deliver much needed housing for Canadians. R-LABS is positioned to be a vital catalyst, and I am thrilled to be joining the Council.” – Heather Tremain
Heather’s work spans affordable ownership, co-operative housing, impact investment, and sustainable development, bringing a deeply integrated perspective across housing finance, policy, development, and community impact.
An accomplished strategic leader and collaborator, Heather previously served as CEO of Options for Homes, an organization using innovative financial models to help low- and moderate-income families achieve homeownership. Under her leadership, Options delivered nearly 900 new homes and built a development pipeline of more than 2,500 units valued at over $1.3 billion, becoming one of Canada’s largest developers of affordable ownership housing.
Prior to Options for Homes, Heather founded and led Urban Fabric Group, a strategic real estate and development consultancy serving non-profit organizations. She also co-founded and led Vancouver-based green building consulting and development company reSource Rethinking Building, supporting developers and institutions in advancing more sustainable building practices.
A long-standing advocate for affordable housing and community development, Heather has also helped shape public policy support across the housing continuum. She is the founding Chair of Circle Community LandTrust, a non-profit organization that preserved more than 600 units of affordable family housing in Toronto.
Heather is a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and a Visiting Fellow at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.
Her experience advancing innovative financing and delivery models for attainable and affordable housing will bring valuable perspective to the I+T Council as it continues to drive Industry Innovation and tackle the complex housing challenges facing communities across Canada.
For more information about New Market Funds, please visit newmarketfunds.ca.
For more information about R-LABS, please visit rlabs.ca or contact [email protected].