A crisis has emerged in housing in many parts of the country, especially in major urban centres, with rampant homelessness and significant mismatches between housing costs and average incomes.
In search of solutions, we frame our research cluster around the central goal of creating a balanced supply of housing, and what that would mean for housing policies and programs. We will examine the concept of a balanced supply of housing by investigating four overarching questions. Does the housing system have:
- the right balance of housing tenures (i.e. rent, ownership, co-op, social, etc.)?
- the right balance of built form and location (i.e. sub/urban, apartment, townhome, detached etc.)?
- the right balance of cost and type relative to local earnings (versus outside investment or short-term rental demand)?
- What evidence is there that any current (im)balances in housing markets affect population health, democratic engagement and/or economic stability?
