Examining Canadian housing policies and programs to create a balanced supply of housing

The Balanced Supply of Housing is a collaborative network of academic researchers and community partners that conduct rigorous community-based research and data analysis to foster a just and equitable housing system through knowledge generation and mobilization. Our goal is to inform policy and systemic changes to address socio-economic and racial inequalities so that the right to housing is realized and everyone is housed well.

Project scope and expected outcomes

4 overarching questions

The Balanced Supply of Housing program is one of 5 research programs that comprise the Collaborative Housing Research Network. It focuses on British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, particularly the urban regions of Vancouver, Toronto and Montréal which collectively house one third of Canada’s population. These locations offer enough difference and common ground for comparative studies into what shapes housing supply and possible adaptations and innovations.

The program builds on 4 overarching questions:

1. What data is needed to assess a balanced supply of housing system in Canada?
2. How can new tenures (such as rental, ownership, co-op, social and Indigenous-led) improve the balance of housing?
3. How do current balances and imbalances in housing markets affect population health, engagement and economic stability for priority populations, including unhoused people?
4. How might policy and legal changes, including greater tenancy protections, improve outcomes?

3 interconnected sub-themes

There are 3 interconnected sub-themes that guide the research:

• Reshaping the financialization of housing: research in this area explores the role of the financialization of housing in shaping eviction trends, and the relationship between security of tenure, gentrification, homelessness and wealth accumulation.
• Innovating in responsive land-use practices: research in this area explores land use models that make space for community housing, with a focus on community land trusts (CLTs), and their role in protecting affordability.
• Sustainable housing futures: research in this area explores the intersection between land use and policy with a focus on building codes and public opinion and their role in creating opportunities for accessible and inclusive communities.

The partnership is contributing to research that informs policies and laws with a focus on the right to housing, the equitable distribution of housing resources and building resilient and inclusive communities.

An intersectional lens

The Balanced Supply of Housing is composed of an interdisciplinary team of academics and community partners from diverse backgrounds. We use an intersectional lens when investigating both current housing challenges and potential solutions.

The program is designed to provide research that can be communicated easily to inform effective housing policies. This includes communicating analyses of unmet demand for housing, evaluating housing intervention plans and tracking positive housing outcomes. The partnership also provides recommendations for social, economic and health benefits for Canadians through access to secure, affordable housing. A knowledge mobilization strategy informs housing policy and public discourse.