Understanding core housing need

If you are living in housing that is unaffordable, doesn’t have enough bedrooms or needs major repairs, and you can’t afford to live somewhere elsewhere in your community, you are living in core housing need.

According to the 2021 Census, the core housing need rate for Canada is 10.1%. This works out to 1.5 million households. With the rise in the cost of living, including increasing rents and mortgage rates, and other economic pressures, this rate is expected to increase.

Core housing need determines if a household can afford suitable and adequate housing in their community

Core housing need is a 2-stage indicator. It helps to identify households living in dwellings considered unsuitable, inadequate or unaffordable. It also considers if income levels are such that they could not afford alternative suitable and adequate housing in their community.

Assessing a household for core housing need involves 2 steps to determine if: