The Community Housing Canada research collective is attentive to the needs of Canada’s community housing sector to help achieve housing for all.

We generate solutions to drive evidence-based decision-making across Canada.

What is Community Housing?

Community Housing is an umbrella term that describes a variety of non-market housing types characterized by relatively affordable rents. It makes up 3.5% of Canada’s overall housing stock and includes social, below-market and cooperative housing. Typically, rents are subsidized by public sources (federal, provincial/territorial, and/or municipal) so that they can be affordable for tenants. Community housing is a powerful tool for empowering community members, promoting economic and social inclusion, and providing a safe and secure place to call home.

To learn more about community housing, start here (click to expand).

Demystifying Community Housing
This podcast brings together experts from across the community housing landscape to help listeners understand what community housing is, what it is like to live in, and why it is an important part of solving Canada’s housing challenges. This is a series of six podcasts that provide an in-depth exploration of a different part of the community housing system in each episode.

Non-Market Housing Models in Canada: A Case Series
This report presents the different types of community housing providers in Canada and their roles. It highlights effective housing models to help spread good practices and share new ideas. The document gives an overview of each organization and details key features of their housing models: rent, number of units, types of housing, and who can live there. These features allow readers to compare and contrast different community housing models across Canada. The goal is to share useful information for those involved in housing planning and management.

Welcome from Project Director, Damian Collins

Canada is committed to progressive realization of the human right to adequate housing. However, many low- and moderate-income households across Canada struggle to afford housing, especially in the private rental market. In this challenging context, community housing is more essential than ever.

Community housing is owned and operated by non-profit organizations, governments and co-operatives. It includes social housing, in which rents are set at or below 30% of tenants’ incomes. Currently, community housing accounts for 3.5% of all housing in Canada.

There are widespread calls for community housing to be prioritized in Canada’s quest to build more homes more quickly. Many organizations are advocating for the country to double its stock of community housing, from 655,000 units to 1.3 million units, as quickly as possible.

Community Housing Canada conducts research with and for the sector to ensure that the renewal and expansion of community housing is adequate, sustainable and effective in addressing the needs of Canadians, especially vulnerable households.

I am proud to direct this partnership as we work to strengthen Canada’s housing landscape, and ensure that the human right to housing is respected, protected and fulfilled. On behalf of all of us at Community Housing Canada, thank you for taking the time to visit our website and learn about our work.