This report by Dr. Carloyn Whitzman commissioned by the Federal Housing Advocate, provides a comprehensive analysis of housing need in Canada. It examines how housing need is calculated in Canada, and how the definition of core housing need is insufficient, as it does not include analysis by income categories, maximum affordable monthly housing costs, household size, and priority populations.
The report identifies recommendations: incorporating a Rights-based approach to the analysis of housing need, providing clear and consistent definitions of affordable housing across government programs, improving census data collection and analysis to provide better evidence and data for calculating core housing need, introducing mandatory housing need assessments by Infrastructure Canada to set government targets, and revising policies and programs to incorporate a Rights-based approach to improve outcomes for those in greatest need for housing and housing-related support services.
Topics include: core housing need, defining affordable housing, income categories, household sizes, housing shortages, rights-based approach, housing as a right