Social inclusion is community housing DNA

Social inclusion is what most fundamentally distinguishes community housing from other types of housing.

Community housing as an incubator of emancipation

In our society, housing is both one of the primary means of enrichment and one of social exclusion. In recent decades, we have seen the emergence of mass homelessness in Canada. A minimum of 235,000 people spends at least one night a year without shelter. According to the last census, 1.7 million households spend more than 30% of their income on housing, and, if we dig a little deeper, we quickly see that money is not the only element that causes exclusion relating to housing.

Single-parent families, people from racialized communities, households headed by women, people with physical and mental disabilities, large families, people from LGBTQ+ communities, and indigenous people (whether they live in urban areas or on-reserve) are all groups whose social and economic vulnerabilities translate into over-representation among the poorly housed.

On the other hand, real estate speculation, the financialization of residential real estate, and the gentrification of traditional working-class neighbourhoods contribute to the increasing appropriation of wealth by a small number of individuals.

Through real estate, these people and institutions have significant financial means and even more traction to influence housing managerial practices and modalities that constantly disadvantage the same marginalized groups, whether they be tenants or small owners.

Numerous studies confirm that although illegal, discrimination is a daily reality that strikes households that do not meet the “socially desirable” benchmarks (a couple of professionals in their thirties, Caucasians, heterosexuals, childless, without apparent disability and with a steady job). Willingly or not, tenant selection measures, such as credit inquiries, ensure that the best accommodations are reserved for applicants closest to the benchmark profile, leaving the lower quality housing to other segments of the population.

This not only applies to tenants, but also to households trying to own their own home. Households with these same reference profiles systematically inhabit the districts with the best services. Resistance against the installation of services, housing, or resources for other populations in these spaces is a well-documented phenomenon known as NIMBYism (not in my backyard!).

The Centre is convinced that community housing is an excellent way to break these insidious mechanisms of exclusion. This action takes several forms.

Community housing welcomes those excluded from places affected by financialization and gentrification. As a matter of fact, it is often the sector’s first reason for being. Through their anti-discrimination policy, motivated by the generosity and social intelligence of those who run the community housing sector, it is not uncommon that the primary way for vulnerable populations to continue living in a gentrifying neighbourhood is through community housing. Unresponsive to the sirens of real estate speculation, housing NPOs, co-ops, and land trusts protect the populations in place and ensure that people who leave their homes are replaced by others with a similar socio-demographic profile.

Accordingly, we find that community housing creates a context and a support structure that allows its inhabitants, who are often targeted by exclusion and discrimination, to get back on their feet. The simple fact of not being subjected to arbitrariness, undue financial pressures, and the multiple daily frustrations that generate social disaffiliation, often acts as a springboard that allows individuals living in community housing to improve their health, social, and professional situation well beyond the simple issues of housing in the strict sense.

It is also well known that community housing, owing to the diversity it brings to the local environment, facilitates the emergence of positive social dynamics that go far beyond the framework of community buildings themselves, towards the benefit of entire neighbourhoods, towns, or cities

Social inclusion within community housing also means that the management structure of these buildings is a place of learning and self-education for the people who live there and are close to them.

By acting as an incubator of emancipation for its tenants, the practice of social inclusion offers community housing managers a fantastic and distinctive tool for accomplishing their mission.

Indeed, social inclusion makes it possible, through the participation of tenants, to guarantee better management. It establishes an internal control mechanism that creates a match between the offer and the needs of tenants.

When properly understood and put into action, social inclusion in community housing buildings is not a service provided by enlightened managers to tenants, but rather, quite the opposite. Social inclusion is a torch offered to managers by those who live in the buildings in their care to guide and inspire them.

For the Centre, it is this inspiration that makes it possible to determine whether or not an apartment building is community-based, much more than the legal framework; that it belongs and serves the community and not funders.

However, we must recognize that community housing managers face intense pressure to adopt practices that correspond more to that of the private market. The decrease in government financial support, the timidity of legislative and regulatory measures that respond to equity in access to housing, and the refusal of the banks to consider community housing projects with criteria adapted to their type of non-speculative management practices leave community housing actors more and more often alone to resist the social and financial pressures engendered by their distinctive operations.

In this context, the Centre affirms the importance of providing the best possible support to organizations that seek to pursue and improve social inclusion in the area of housing.

This support can take the form of financial recognition or showcasing the benefits associated with this practice. By facilitating the exploration and experimentation of new ways to stimulate tenant participation, and sharing these acquired learnings, the Centre can contribute to the evolution of the community housing movement and make it a reference model that supports the evolution of our communities.

Consequently, the Centre sets the following objectives for itself to:

  • Promote meaningful and strong tenant and community engagement
  • Provide resources and tools and showcase best practices
  • Improve community housing organization services for tenant and community engagement
Learn about News and Awarded Projects that relate to

Social Inclusion and Community Engagement

Milton Park: the battle isn’t over

Milton Park: the battle isn’t over

Montreal’s Milton Park sector has a long history of mobilizing citizens against the development of large private projects and in favour of social and community housing. And the battle isn’t over. The Milton Park Citizens’ Committee has continued to rally the populace, these days primarily over the redevelopment of the former Royal Victoria and Hôtel-Dieu hospitals.

Parkdale rooming house tenants are not alone in battle to save their homes

Parkdale rooming house tenants are not alone in battle to save their homes

In Toronto’s South Parkdale district, rooming houses are key to providing affordable housing for many in the multicultural working-class district. In the face of concerted pressure from developers looking to earn higher profits by converting these units into larger apartments, the Parkdale Rooming House Eviction Prevention Project is aimed at informing existing tenants of their rights and helping them contest evictions.

Eight seasons in the life of a co-op

Eight seasons in the life of a co-op

In Gatineau, the Coopérative d’habitation St-Louis brings together people of diverse origins and backgrounds who help each other and cooperate to meet the challenges of this way of life. In the documentary La coop de ma mère, director Ève Lamont presents the stories and the daily lives of a core group of these people—including her mother. The film is an honest testament to the importance and impact of this type of community housing on its participants.

Marginal or marginalized? Giving a voice to the street

Marginal or marginalized? Giving a voice to the street

For as long as cities have been subject to international competition and entrepreneurial imperatives, the presence of people who are homeless or marginalized is often seen as an irritant and the co-existence of the housed and unhoused is a source of tension. UQÀM...

New housing model to help people with mental-health challenges

New housing model to help people with mental-health challenges

It’s hard enough to find affordable housing when you blend in, but for people living with mental health issues, the struggle can be overwhelming. The National Affordable Housing Corporation is hoping that its Aspen Heights project will become an inspirational model for supportive housing.

Faith in action: turning asphalt into apartments

Faith in action: turning asphalt into apartments

Faith-based organizations are often asset-rich but cash-poor. With a little help, however, they can take action to support the supply of affordable housing in their communities, and thus address issues such as loneliness and homelessness. This is the story of Co:Here Housing in Vancouver, born out of a partnership between Grandview Church and the Salsbury Community Society.

Housing advocacy to get an Indigenous makeover in Calgary

Housing advocacy to get an Indigenous makeover in Calgary

When it comes to housing, Indigenous realities are often ignored or misunderstood in the western culture, even in advocacy programs like Rent Smart, which aims to train and empower tenants. The Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary is reconciling the two worlds by adapting Rent Smart tenancy training to embrace Indigenous culture and values.

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Develop new services, models or tools to help the sector build and manage affordable housing.

 

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Sector Transformation Fund

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Develop projects that aim to engage tenants/co-op members in housing decisions that affect them.

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