A CMHC-SSHRC Joint Initiative: Collaborative Housing Research Network

Focused on strengthening research capacity and the generation of research, data and insights on housing in Canada.

What is the Collaborative Housing Research Network?

The Collaborative Housing Research Network provides objective, recognized and high-quality research that can support housing policy decisions and inform future program development. It is a joint initiative between CMHC and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

The Network is expected to:

Generate new knowledge by conducting multidisciplinary research across a national network of researchers and housing system stakeholders.
Bridge gaps between research outcomes and impact on housing by:
- accelerating translation of research discoveries into applications, best practices and/or the marketplace
- developing, validating and evaluating interventions that change significant aspects of practice
- evaluating the outcomes of different housing interventions to identify and document health, social and other impacts

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Fund Details

The Collaborative Housing Research Network is an independent, Canada-wide collaboration of academics and community partners. It’s focused on multi-disciplinary research on housing conditions, needs and outcomes in support of the priority areas of the National Housing Strategy.

The network was formed using 8 1-year SSHRC Partnership Development Grants to develop full applications, totaling $640,000. Of those 8 applications, 6 5-year SSHRC Partnership Grants were awarded in 2020, totaling $7.9 million.

Over the initial 5-year funding period, the Network has:

established itself as a trusted source of housing research in Canada
advanced capacity building through its research training

The knowledge mobilization HUB (the Canadian Housing Evidence Collaborative) has been engaged by thought leaders, decision-makers and policy specialists at different levels of government to have a direct and impactful effect on policy.

In July 2024, the 6 teams were invited to submit grant renewal proposals for the remaining 3 years of funding under the National Housing Strategy, as extensions of each team’s existing work.

In February 2025, each of the 6 teams was approved for grant renewal funding for an additional 3-year period, totaling $5.2 million.

The Collaborative Housing Research Network is part of a suite of initiatives under the National Housing Strategy.

The Collaborative Housing Research Network Structure

Research teams bring together a diverse group of researchers and housing system stakeholders around a common focus and objectives. Each team is led by a project coordinator and focused on one thematic research area aligned with the National Housing Strategy’s priority areas of action. The Canadian Housing Evidence Collaborative coordinates research collaboration and planning internally among the research teams. It also leads knowledge mobilization within the network and externally.