Core Housing Need
Definition
Percentage of the population living in need with respect to the affordability, adequacy and/or suitability of their housing.
A household is said to be in ‘core housing need’ if its housing falls below at least one of the adequacy, affordability or suitability standards AND it would have to spend 30% or more of its total before-tax income to pay the median rent of alternative local housing that meets all three housing standards.
The housing standards 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 National Occupancy Standard (NOS) requirements.
Measurement and Limitations
The concept of ‘core housing need’ was originally defined by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. It applies specifically to private households. A private household is a person or group of persons who occupy the same dwelling and do not have a usual place of residence elsewhere in Canada or abroad.
The population considered for core housing need typically excludes private households living in a dwelling provided by the local government, First Nation or Indian band, on a reserve or located on an agricultural operation that is operated by a member of the household. Households that spend more than 100% of their before-tax income on shelter are also excluded from the population of study.
In addition, 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. (see Statistics Canada, https://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p3Var.pl?Function=DEC&Id=1230313).
Source
Statistics Canada: Table: 98-10-0247-01, “Core housing need by tenure including presence of mortgage payments and subsidized housing,” Release date: 2022-09-23; Customized Census data, EO2767 Table 12A, acquired through the Canadian Community Economic Development Network’s Community Data Program.
Core Housing Need in the Sustainable Development Goals
Click on the SDG to reveal more information
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
Extreme poverty rates have been cut by more than half since 1990. While this is a remarkable achievement, one in five people in developing regions still live on less than $1.90 a day, and there are millions more who make little more than this daily amount, plus many people risk slipping back into poverty.
Poverty is more than the lack of income and resources to ensure a sustainable livelihood. Its manifestations include hunger and malnutrition, limited access to education and other basic services, social discrimination and exclusion as well as the lack of participation in decision-making. Economic growth must be inclusive to provide sustainable jobs and promote equality.
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
Ensuring healthy lives and promoting the well-being for all at all ages is essential to sustainable development. Significant strides have been made in increasing life expectancy and reducing some of the common killers associated with child and maternal mortality. Major progress has been made on increasing access to clean water and sanitation, reducing malaria, tuberculosis, polio and the spread of HIV/AIDS. However, many more efforts are needed to fully eradicate a wide range of diseases and address many different persistent and emerging health issues.