Housing needs

• Proportion of the population living in acceptable housing.
• Proportion of the population in core housing need.

This indicator is measured using two statistics derived in the Canadian Housing Survey (CHS) and the Census of Population. These statistics are derived based on information respondents provide about their household's composition, the number of bedrooms in their household's dwelling and whether the dwelling needs repairs, their household's shelter costs as well as income information based on a combination of administrative and survey data.

Acceptable housing

Acceptable housing refers to whether a household meets each of the three indicator thresholds established by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation for housing adequacy, suitability and affordability.

Housing indicator thresholds are defined as follows:

• Adequate housing is reported by their residents as not requiring any major repairs.
• Affordable housing has shelter costs equal to less than 30% of total before-tax household income.
• Suitable housing has enough bedrooms for the size and composition of resident households according to the National Occupancy Standard (NOS), conceived by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and provincial and territorial representatives.

Acceptable housing identifies which thresholds the household falls below, if any. Housing that is adequate in condition, suitable in size and affordable is considered to be acceptable.

Households below and above the thresholds are based on the indicators for which individual households can be assessed. Farm and on-reserve households whose housing does not meet either or both of the suitability and adequacy thresholds are counted in the total of households below the thresholds. Farm and on-reserve households who live in housing that meets both the suitability and adequacy thresholds are counted in the total of households above the thresholds (even though it is not possible to assess housing affordability for these households). Farm households and on-reserve households cannot be assessed for housing affordability because the concept is not applicable.

Core housing need

Core housing need refers to whether a household's housing falls below at least one of the indicator thresholds for housing adequacy, affordability or suitability, and would have to spend 30% or more of its total before-tax income to pay the median rent of alternative local housing that is acceptable (attains all three housing indicator thresholds).

Only private, non-farm, non-reserve and owner- or renter-households with incomes greater than zero and shelter-cost-to-income ratios less than 100% are assessed for 'core housing need.'

Non-family households with at least one maintainer aged 15 to 29 attending school are considered not to be in 'core housing need' regardless of their housing circumstances. Attending school is considered a transitional phase, and low incomes earned by student households are viewed as being a temporary condition.

This indicator is measured through more than one Statistics Canada survey. Estimates can vary between data sources due to differences in reference periods, targeted or sampled populations, data collection and other methodology.

• Canadian Housing Survey (CHS)
  • Table 46-10-0071-01 – Persons living in acceptable housing, by tenure including first-time homebuyer and social and affordable housing status, by province
  • Table 46-10-0072-01 – Persons living in acceptable housing, by tenure and other selected sociodemographic characteristics
  • Table 46-10-0073-01 – Persons in core housing need, by tenure including first-time homebuyer and social and affordable housing status, by province
  • Table 46-10-0074-01 – Persons in core housing need, by tenure and other selected sociodemographic characteristics
  • Table 46-10-0037-01 – Dimensions of core housing need, by tenure including first-time homebuyer and social and affordable housing status
  • Table 46-10-0046-01 – Households living with housing problems, by selected housing-vulnerable populations and core housing need including adequacy, affordability and suitability standards
  • Table 46-10-0055-01 – Persons living with housing problems, by selected housing-vulnerable populations and core housing need including adequacy, affordability and suitability standards
  • Table 46-10-0056-01 – Core housing need, by tenure including first-time homebuyer and social and affordable housing status
• Census of Population
  • Table 39-10-0048-01 – Population in core housing need, by economic family structure and sex
  • Table 39-10-0050-01 – Population in core housing need, by selected economic family characteristics of persons and sex
  • Table 98-10-0247-01 – Core housing need by tenure including presence of mortgage payments and subsidized housing: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions
  • Table 98-10-0246-01 – Acceptable housing by tenure: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions
  • Table 98-10-0248-01 – Core housing need by tenure including presence of mortgage payments and subsidized housing: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations
  • Table 98-10-0249-01 – Acceptable housing by tenure: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations

• Municipal Quality of Life Dashboard (Statistics Canada – Data Visualization Products)
• Sustainable Development Goals: Goal 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities (Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals ReportStatistics Canada – Infographics, December 13, 2022)
• Core housing need in Canada (Statistics Canada – Infographics, September 21, 2022)
• Housing vulnerabilities among Canadians with mental health-related disabilities (Statistics Canada – Infographics, January 28, 2021)

• Housing international students: Housing suitability across municipalities (Economic and Social Reports, May 22, 2024)
• Housing Experiences in Canada: Renters who are in poverty, seniors and recent immigrants, 2021 (Housing Statistics in Canada, November 22, 2023)
• A tale of two renters: Housing affordability among recent and existing renters in Canada (Analytical products, 2021 Census, October 4, 2023)
• Navigating Socioeconomic Obstacles: Impact on the Well-being of Canadian Youth (The Daily, September 20, 2023)
• Women living in subsidized housing in Canada (Insights on Canadian Society, April 11, 2023)
• Childhood factors associated with the completion of a high school diploma or equivalency certificate or higher among First Nations children living off reserve, Métis and Inuit children (Indigenous Peoples Thematic Series, April 6, 2023)
• Housing experiences and measures of health and well-being among First Nations people living off reserve, Métis and Inuit: Findings from the 2018 Canadian Housing Survey (Indigenous Peoples Thematic Series, April 4, 2023)
• Women living in subsidized housing in Canada (Insights on Canadian Society, April 11, 2023)
• Housing conditions among racialized groups: A brief overview (The Daily, January 23, 2023)
• Housing Experiences in Canada: West Asian people in 2016 (Housing Statistics in Canada, October 21, 2022)
• Housing Experiences in Canada: Southeast Asian people in 2016 (Housing Statistics in Canada, October 12, 2022)
• Housing experiences in Canada: Filipino people in 2016 (Housing Statistics in Canada, October 12, 2022)
• Housing Experiences in Canada: Japanese people in 2016 (Housing Statistics in Canada, October 12, 2022)
• To buy or to rent: The housing market continues to be reshaped by several factors as Canadians search for an affordable place to call home (The Daily, September 21, 2022)
• A first look at shelter costs for households living on reserve using new data from the 2021 Census (Housing Statistics in Canada, September 21, 2022)
• Housing Experiences in Canada fact sheets (new fact sheets are released continuously)
• One in five Canadians with mental health-related disabilities lives in core housing need (The Daily, January 28, 2021)
• The Canadian Housing Survey, 2018: Core housing need of renter households living in social and affordable housing (Income Research Paper Series, October 2, 2020)

Statistics Canada's Housing statistics

For additional information on housing indicators from the Census of Population, including acceptable housing and core housing need, please refer to:

• 2021 Census Topic: Housing (Topics, 2021 Census, September 21, 2022)
• Housing Characteristics Reference Guide, Census of Population, 2021 (Reference materials, 2021 Census, March 30, 2022)