Community Housing Canada is made up of six research groups, or “Areas of Inquiry”. Five of the Areas of Inquiry explore specific topics around community housing sustainability and resilience. The sixth area explores housing vulnerability, generating evidence that “cuts across” all Areas of Inquiry.
Area of Inquiry I: Conceptualizing Housing Human Rights researches the right to housing in theory and practice. It has undertaken projects on eviction prevention, and the experiences of immigrants and refugees, many of whom rely on affordable or subsidized housing during settlement
Area of Inquiry II: Enhancing Building Performance focuses on the relationship between building performance and the social and environmental components of community housing. It has completed projects that show the prevalence of energy poverty across Canada and the costs and benefits of building retrofits in community housing.
Area of Inquiry III: Fostering Social Inclusion examines topics ranging from housing security for people with disabilities to the residential strategies of low-income newcomers. It has completed a range of projects, including on immigrants’ housing experiences in Montreal and on housing and mental health outcomes in the New Brunswick region.
Area of Inquiry IV: Evaluating Models identifies, describes and analyzes different models and roles of community housing providers. It has examined cooperative housing models and their contributions to resident wellbeing, racism in Canada’s housing system, and developed a framework for defining the diverse models across the community housing sector in Canada.
Area of Inquiry V: Imagining Housing Futures compares the imaginaries (ways of understanding) that shape the community housing sector. It pays particular attention to Indigenous conceptualizations of housing. Area V supports the research and uptake of alternative community housing models through its links to the Affordable Housing Solutions Lab at the University of Alberta.
The Cross-Cutting Theme: Housing Vulnerable Canadians focuses on the housing needs of vulnerable groups identified in the National Housing Strategy (NHS) and supports the Areas of Inquiry in engaging with housing vulnerability. This group has conducted a major survey of housing vulnerability and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic and curated a special issue of Housing, Theory & Society on housing vulnerability as a concept.
Together, we effect change and shape the conversation around Canada’s community housing sector. We have published a variety of resources to help strengthen the sustainability and resiliency of the sector.
