Skip to content
CMHC Home Canada Mortgage
and Housing Corporation
  • Sign In or Register
  • Français
  • MENU
MENU
× Français
  • Home
  • Professionals
    • Project funding and mortgage financing
      • Funding programs
        • Affordable Housing Fund
        • Affordable Housing Innovation Fund
        • Apartment Construction Loan Program
        • Canada Greener Affordable Housing
        • Community (social) housing
        • Federal Lands Initiative
        • Funding for Indigenous housing
        • Housing Supply Challenge
        • Innovation and research
        • National Housing Strategy Project Profiles
        • Rapid Housing Initiative
      • Mortgage Loan Insurance Products
        • Homeowner and Small Rental Mortgage Loan Insurance
          • CMHC Purchase
          • CMHC Improvement
          • CMHC Income Property
          • CMHC Refinance
          • CMHC Newcomers
          • CMHC Self-Employed
          • CMHC Portability
          • Eco Products for Lenders
        • Multi-Unit and Rental Housing
          • MLI Select
        • Default, claims and properties for sale
        • Underwriting centre
        • emili
        • NHA approved lenders
        • Calculating GDS / TDS
        • How to recognize and report mortgage fraud
        • Contact mortgage loan insurance
        • Insured Mortgage Purchase Program (IMPP)
      • Securitization
        • NHA Mortgage Backed Securities
        • Canada Mortgage Bonds
        • Canadian registered covered bonds
        • Blockchain in the housing industry
    • Housing markets, data and research
      • CMHC Reports Calendar
      • Housing markets
        • Housing market reports
        • Mortgage market and consumer reports
        • Fall 2024 Rental Market Report
      • Housing research
        • Consultations
          • Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act
            • Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act – Frequently asked questions
        • Housing research reports
        • Housing surveys
          • Mortgage consumer surveys
        • Research awards and scholarships
        • Understanding core housing need
        • Collaborative Housing Research Network
      • Housing data
        • Data tables
          • Household characteristics data
          • Housing market data
          • Mortgage and debt data
          • Rental market data
        • Housing market information portal
        • Residential Mortgage Industry Data Dashboard
        • CMHC licence agreement for the use of data
        • Housing Knowledge Centre
    • Industry innovation and leadership
      • Housing innovation
      • Our Partners
        • Partnerships
        • Federal, Provincial and Territorial Forum on Housing
      • Industry collaboration
        • Expert Community on Housing (ECoH)
      • Industry expertise
        • Affordable housing
        • Indigenous housing
        • Senior housing
        • Accessible and adaptable housing
        • Developing sustainable housing
        • Resources for mortgage professionals
        • CMHC newsletters
    • Events and speakers
      • Conferences
        • 2024 National Housing Conference
          • About
          • National Housing Conference - Agenda
          • Location
          • InnoZone
          • Details for participants
      • Speakers’ bureau
        • Kevin Hughes
  • Consumers
    • Buying a home
      • Homebuying calculators
        • Mortgage calculator
        • Affordability calculator
        • Debt service calculator
      • Buying guides
        • Homebuying step by step
        • CMHC's condominium buyer's guide
      • Mortgage loan insurance for consumers
        • What is CMHC mortgage loan insurance?
        • Do I qualify for mortgage loan insurance?
        • CMHC mortgage loan insurance costs
        • CMHC's Eco Products
          • CMHC’s Eco Improvement
          • CMHC Eco Plus
        • CMHC — home renovation financing options
        • FAQs — mortgage loan insurance
      • Incentives for homebuyers
      • Newcomers
      • The First-Time Home Buyer Incentive
    • Owning a home
      • Manage your mortgage
        • Mortgage fraud
        • Mortgage planning tips
        • Plan and manage your mortgage
        • Your credit report
        • Your home value
      • Aging in place
        • Housing options for Seniors
        • Housing and finance tips
        • Mortgage financing options for people 55+
        • Preventing fraud and financial abuse
    • Renting a home
      • I want to rent
        • Things to consider before renting
        • Types of housing for rent in Canada
        • Finding or advertising a rental property
        • Visiting the rental property
        • Lease and rental agreements
        • Signing the lease
        • Credit checks and bad credit
        • Rental payments and deposits
        • Roommates and pets
      • I am renting
        • Moving day
        • Landlord/Tenant responsibilities
        • Inspections
        • Maintenance and repairs
        • Complaints and evictions
        • Rent increases
        • When you can't pay rent
        • Renewing or terminating the lease
        • Moving out
      • One-Time Top-Up to the Canada Housing Benefit
      • COVID‑19: eviction bans and suspensions to support renters
  • About CMHC
    • CMHC’s goals, values and commitment to housing
    • Discover Life at CMHC
    • Management and governance
      • Speakers’ bureau
      • CMHC's Annual Public Meeting
      • CMHC’s board of directors and committees
      • Our management committee
      • Pension governance
        • Pension overview
        • Key roles and responsibilities
        • Annual reports
    • Corporate reporting
      • CMHC’s 2023 Annual Report
      • Program evaluation
      • Quarterly financial reports
      • Joint auditors special examination report to CMHC board 2018
      • CMHC’s Insured Mortgage Deferral
      • Corporate Plan Summary
      • Transparency
        • Access to information and privacy protection
        • Accessibility at CMHC
        • Accessibility feedback process
        • Briefing materials
        • Procurement
          • Vendor Diversity Program
        • Travel, hospitality and conference expenditures
    • Contact us
      • Contact mortgage loan insurance
      • Regional offices
      • Granville lsland
      • Indigenous and the North Housing Solutions
      • National office
      • Holiday service hours
  • Media Newsroom
  • National Housing Strategy
    • What is the strategy?
      • About the initiatives
      • How to apply
      • Help and resources
      • Priority areas for action
      • The National Housing Strategy Glossary of Common Terms
      • The Strategy in Action
    • Federal/Provincial/Territorial housing agreements
    • Other funding and financing opportunities
  • The Housing Observer
  • Canada’s Housing Podcast
  • Careers
  • Housing Knowledge Centre
 
  • Home
  • The Housing Observer
  • Canadian Housing Survey, core housing need and gender
  • Save
  • Share

Core housing need and gender

Canadian Housing Survey shows women are more likely than men to be in core housing need.

March 11, 2025

At a Glance

Breaking down core housing need in Canada

Core housing need highlights the challenges many Canadians face in finding safe, suitable and affordable housing. Core housing need occurs when a household falls short of one or more housing standards — adequacy, suitability or affordability — and would need to spend 30% or more of its before-tax income to access housing that meets all 3 standards. Core housing need rates are often provided at the household level as the impact is felt by all individuals living in the household.

According to the Canadian Housing Survey, approximately 1.7 million households (11.2%) were assessed to be in core housing need in 2022. This translates to approximately 3.3 million individuals (9.1%).

This article looks primarily at individual characteristics, such as gender, race and age. In it, we mainly use the percentage of individuals, rather than the percentage of households living in core housing need. However, when looking at family composition, we use household rates to get a better understanding of the differences in core housing need between households composed of one-parent families and those composed of a couple (with and without children).

Using a Gender Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) lens, we explored the variation in core housing need rates among Canadians by gender and its overlap with race, income, age and family composition. When examining core housing need, a GBA Plus approach was used to analyze intersecting, identifying factors that can impact people's housing experiences. This approach allows us to deepen our understanding of underlying factors that can play a role in shaping diverse people's housing experiences to support more responsive and inclusive policies and programs.

Women face greater rates of core housing need

Overall, women faced greater rates of core housing need in comparison to men. In 2022, the core housing need rate for women was 9.8% while the rate for men was 8.4%. The disparity was greatest among renters. Women who rent faced greater core housing need rates than men who rent (21.3% and 18.2%, respectively).

Table 1 — Share of Individuals in Core Housing Need, by Gender and by Tenure, Canada
(Provinces Only), 2022
Men + assessed to be in core housing need (%) Women + assessed to be in core housing need (%)
Total, tenure 8.4 9.8
Owner 4.4 4.9
Renter 18.2 21.3
Renter in social and affordable housing 26.8 28.8
Renter not in social and affordable housing 17.4 20.3

Source: CMHC, adapted from the Canadian Housing Survey, 2022 (Statistics Canada)

Age, gender and core housing need

The 2022 Survey showed that men aged 15 to 24 were more likely to be in core housing need than women in the same age category. From age 25 onward, women experienced higher rates of core housing need. This situation is due in part to the gender wage gap. According to Statistics Canada, the gender wage gap in 2022 was 16.0%. This means that women earned 84 cents for every dollar earned by men aged 15 and over.

The most notable gap was between senior men and women. This gap begins to widen more noticeably between the age categories of 45 to 54 and 55 to 64. The difference in core housing need rates between the ages of 45 to 54 between men and women isn't huge (6.9% and 7.5%, respectively). The rates of core housing need along with a widening gap jump quite a bit in the next age category of 55 to 64 (9.1% and 10.4%, respectively). The gap continues to widen as Canadians age.

The core housing need rates for men and women between the ages of 65 and 74 were 8.0% and 12.0%, respectively. These rates were relatively higher for women who are 75 and older (14.6%) and only slightly higher for men in the same age group (8.7%). Several factors contribute to this, including:

  • senior women having lower savings due to the gender wage gap, smaller pensions and retirement income compared to men
  • the impacts of divorce or death of a spouse, resulting in having to rely on a single source of income

Racialized women and core housing need

Racialized women1 were among the most likely to experience core housing need. In 2022, racialized people faced higher rates of core housing need than non-racialized people (14.4% and 7.7%, respectively, see Table 2). In 2018, 2021 and 2022, racialized women were twice as likely to experience core housing need, compared to non-racialized women.

In 2018, 18.8% of racialized women were in core housing need compared to 7.6% of non-racialized women (see Table 2). This gap slightly decreased in 2022, when 16.8% of racialized women and 8.5% of non-racialized women were in core housing need (see Table 2). The gap between racialized and non-racialized women in core housing need is consistent with other findings that show higher rates of poverty among racialized women and girls than non-racialized women and girls (Statistics Canada, 2024).

This gap also exists between racialized and non-racialized men. In 2018, 13.4% of racialized men were in core housing need, compared to 6.2% of non-racialized men. Although racialized men have faced higher rates of core housing need, this gap slightly decreased in 2022. That year, 12.1% of racialized men were in core housing need versus 7.0% of non-racialized men.

Table 2 — Share of Individuals in Core Housing Need, by Gender and by Racialized Group, Canada
(Provinces Only), 2018 – 2022 2
2018 2021 2022
Total (%) Men (%) Women (%) Total (%) Men+ (%) Women+ (%) Total (%) Men+ (%) Women+ (%)
Total, by visible minority group 8.5 7.7 9.2 7.2 6.5 7.8 9.1 8.4 9.8
Visible minority 15.9 13.4 18.8 16.9 19.9 14.0 14.4 12.1 16.8
Not a visible minority 6.9 6.2 7.6 6.3 5.6 7.0 7.7 7.0 8.5

Source: CMHC, adapted from the Canadian Housing Survey, 2018 – 2022 (Statistics Canada)

One-parent family households and core housing need

Households with one-parent families tend to experience higher rates of core housing need than households with families headed by a couple (see Table 3). This is often attributable to several factors, including a reliance on a single earner to support at least one child, housing costs being the sole responsibility of the single earner, and the need for paid childcare to be able to participate in the workforce.

Table 3 shows a lower core housing need rate for households composed of couples with and without children than for households with one-parent families.3 In 2022, households with families composed of couples with children had a core housing need rate of 6.0%. This rate was lower for households made up of couples without children (5.0%). However, core housing need rates were significantly higher for households with one-parent families and households not living in a census family4 (19.4% and 19.3%, respectively). The survey shows that households with one-parent families headed by women tend to have higher rates of core housing need than those headed by men (21.0% versus 15.5%, respectively). A recent study released by Statistics Canada illustrates wage disparities between men and women, and especially for one-parent families headed by women.

In 2022, households not in census families also experienced higher rates of core housing need (19.3%) than households composed of couples with or without children. Women in households not in census families experienced a higher rate than men (21.7% and 16.7%, respectively). This is especially true for those living alone (one-person households not in a census family) who recorded a core housing need rate of 20.6%. Again, the survey shows a gap in core housing need rates between women and men living alone (23.3% and 17.5%, respectively). The reliance on a single income to keep up with the cost of living places people at higher risk of core housing need.

Table 3 — Share of Households in Core Housing Need, by Family Composition, Canada
(Provinces Only), 2022
Total (%) Men+ assessed to be in CHN (%) Women + assessed to be in CHN (%)
Total, household type — census family composition 11.6 9.9 13.3
Couple with children 6.0 6.8 4.9
Couple without children 5.0 4.8 5.1
One-parent-led family 19.4 15.5 21.0
Person not in census family 19.3 16.7 21.7

Source: CMHC, adapted from the Canadian Housing Survey, 2022 (Statistics Canada)

Lower-income women and core housing need

Generally, those in lower income brackets faced higher rates of core housing need than those in higher income brackets. In 2022, rates of core housing need were higher for women in comparison to men in all income categories except for those earning under $20,000 per year. These findings suggest that lower-income men experienced higher rates of core housing need than lower-income women. However, this does not take into consideration household size, family composition, living situation and age, which may explain these differences. Future research should take a closer look at the characteristics of those in lower-income categories.

Housing policy and program implications

It is important to understand who is most impacted by core housing need so that policies and programs are tailored to the needs of specific populations. Based on survey results from the 2022 Canadian Housing Survey:

  • women experienced higher rates of core housing need than men
  • women who are 75 and over had the highest rates of core housing need of any other age group
  • racialized women were more likely to be in core housing need than non-racialized women
  • one-parent families, especially those led by women, continued to face high rates of core housing need
  • women living alone recorded higher rates than men living alone
  • future research on differences in core housing need rates across various characteristics in lower-income categories is needed

These findings indicate that programs need to effectively target the housing needs of women with different living arrangements, household sizes, ages, races and incomes. The use of a GBA Plus approach of identifying overlapping factors, such as gender, allows us to better understand the characteristics of those most likely to be in core housing need. Future analyses of the Survey should continue to use a GBA Plus lens to unpack the diverse housing experiences of Canadians.

About the Canadian Housing Survey

The Canadian Housing Survey is a biennial survey conducted in partnership with Statistics Canada that examines the housing experiences of Canadians. It began in 2018 as part of the National Housing Strategy's commitment to new, more and better housing information to support better housing outcomes for all Canadians.

The survey collects information from Canadian households on their homes, communities, housing needs and housing experiences. Three cycles of survey data are currently available, with the recent cycle presenting the most up-to-date data on the housing experiences of Canadians. Read about some of the key issues that impacted Canadians in 2022. Take a closer look at core housing need rates among different population groups with a specific focus on gender.5

This survey is a unique source of information on many topics and provides estimates of core housing need between census cycles, which helps identify trends and emerging patterns on a timelier basis. The third cycle (2022) of the survey continues to provide researchers, policy makers, housing sector professionals and the public with relevant data for housing decisions.

Footnotes

  1. Racialized person refers to individuals who identify as a visible minority. Visible minority refers to whether a person is a visible minority or not, as defined by the Employment Equity Act. Racialized and visible minority are used interchangeably in this article.
  2. In 2018, non-binary was not included as an option under the gender category. Gender in the first cycle of the Canadian Housing Survey only includes those who identified as male or female.
  3. These rates are based on households rather than all individuals living in the household. We use household-level data to illustrate women + led, one-parent families and men + led, one-parent families. 
  4. A married couple and the children, if any, of either and/or both spouses; a couple living common law and the children, if any, of either and/or both partners; or a parent of any marital status in a one-parent family with at least one child living in the same dwelling and that child or those children.
  5. Gender refers to an individual's personal and social identity as a man, woman, or non-binary person. Women + and Men + are used throughout this article. Women + includes women, girls, and some non-binary persons. Men + includes men, boys, and some non-binary persons. 

Sign up to get regular updates on Canada’s housing industry sent to your inbox.

Was this page relevant to your needs?

Thank you for your feedback!

How Can We Help?

Suggest an Improvement

Report a Bug

How Can We Help?

Suggest an Improvement

Please share your suggestion.

Google Captcha Loader

How Can We Help?

Report a Bug

Please describe the problem.

Google Captcha Loader

Thank you. Your feedback has been submitted.

Discover related content using the tags below:

  • Affordable Housing
  • Housing Needs and Conditions
  • Social Housing
  • Research
Date Published: March 11, 2025
Save Icon

SAVE TO MY FOLDER

Core housing need and gender

SAVE
Close this Window   |   Manage my Folder
Save Icon

SAVE TO MY FOLDER

Core housing need and gender

Done Done!
Close this Window   |   Manage my Folder
Share icon

Share via

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
  • print
  • CopyLink

SuccessCopyLinkVersionLink copied

Share icon

Share via

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
  • print
  • CopyLink

SuccessCopyLinkVersionLink copied

share icon

Mail-blue Share via Email

Did You Know?

You can include an email signature?

Register | Sign In

×
Google Captcha Loader
share icon

Mail-blue Share via Email

Done Done!
Close this window

By Topic

  • Professionals
    • Project funding and mortgage financing
    • Housing markets data and research
    • Industry innovation and leadership
    • Events and speakers
  • Consumers
    • Home buying
    • Owning a home
    • Renting a home

About Us

  • CMHC's Story
  • Management and Governance
  • Our Partners
  • Corporate Reporting
  • Contact Us
  • Careers

More

  • CMHC Newsletters
  • CMHC Library
  • Housing Observer
  • Media Newsroom
  • CMHC and Accessible Housing
  • CMHC on Twitter
  • CMHC on LinkedIn
  • CMHC on Facebook
  • CMHC on Instagram
  • CMHC on YouTube
Privacy Policy    |    Terms and Conditions    |    Transparency    |    Accessibility Plan    |    Accessibility Feedback     Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) ©2025 
Canada
loader icon