In an effort to fill data gaps for the affordable housing sector, BCNPHA developed the Canadian Rental Housing Index (CRHI). The CRHI is an interactive website, based on 2016 census data. It is the most comprehensive database of rental housing statistics available, providing data for over 800 geographies across Canada. In addition to the site being user-friendly and sharable, BCNPHA uses the CRHI to fulfill custom data requests for researchers, advocates, and governments, free of charge. There are three aspects to the 2023 update. First, to update the CRHI with 2021 census data, including new datasets such as dwelling condition, gender+, subsidized and racialized renter households. The second is to add new dashboards, e.g. a 2016/2021 census comparison tool. The third is to develop a communications/media strategy for the launch of the updated Index in June 2023. We are seeking this funding to integrate research perspectives from academia to extend the usefulness and reach of the CRHI. We envision including a Research Assistant for a summer placement to further collaborate in this regard. Our goal will be to look at ways of integrating the CRHI with existing datasets and research projects, to potentially extend the information contained within the CRHI. We see a technical paper and a research paper as potential outputs of this project, in addition to training opportunities and closer integration between non-profit and university researchers.
Outputs:
The Canadian Rental Housing Index
The Index is a comprehensive database that compiles rental housing statistics for cities, regions, and provinces across Canada. See how much rent Canadians are paying in different parts of the country, compare affordability measures and find out where residents are overcrowded and severely overspending on housing.
The Financialization of a Housing Crisis
Spacing and the Balanced Supply of Housing research node proudly present The Overhead: Understanding Canada’s Affordable Housing Crisis, a special podcast series. This episode features Erika Sagert, policy manager for the BC Non-Profit Housing Association, Toronto Metropolitan University’s Dr. Nemoy Lewis and research assistant Dimitri Panou, and PhD candidate at the University of Waterloo, Cloé St-Hilaire.