New Housing Study Documents Growing Need
New Housing Study Documents Growing Need
The Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association and the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada – Ontario Region recently released a comprehensive study of housing conditions and unmet needs in Ontario. Where’s Home 2004 provides a detailed housing profile of 21 separate Ontario communities.
The report found that affordability remains the single largest problem for low and moderate-income households, particularly for those who reside in the rental market. Indeed, 158,000 Ontario households are currently on the official government waiting list for affordable housing.
Despite recent increases in rental vacancy rates, the report reveals that one out of every five-tenant households in Ontario is paying more than half of their total income on housing. These households are at significant risk of slipping into homelessness, and in many cases, must rely on emergency food assistance in order to keep a roof overhead. The report authors call this “the feed the kids or pay the rent dilemma”.
Where’s Home 2004 also looks at the average income for a variety of jobs in several municipalities using data from the Census and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. This analysis illustrates the difficulty many working households face because wage levels, in a number of common job categories, simply don’t provide people with enough income to afford prevailing market prices.
The report calls on the provincial government to adopt a multi-pronged strategy to deal with the housing needs of Ontarians, particularly those now on the waiting list. It recommends targeted rent supplements, portable shelter allowances, along with an initiative to acquire and renovate existing rental buildings, and a healthy amount of new development of permanently affordable housing.
For a copy of the
Where’s Home 2004 report, please visit: http://www.onpha.on.ca/affordable_housing_initiatives/fight_resources/doc/whereshome2004.pdf
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Source: United Ways of Ontario's Government Relations Bulletin - Issue dd July 23, 2004
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Page last updated July 24, 2004