OTTAWA: More than 1.6 million Canadian households lived in core housing need in 2018, defined as living in an unsuitable, inadequate, or unaffordable dwelling, and not able to afford alternative housing in their community, according to Statistics Canada.
Seniors living alone and groups designated as visible minorities were among the most likely to be in core housing need prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Statistics Canada, in collaboration with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, has produced the core housing need indicator for the 2018 Canadian Housing Survey.
A household is deemed to be in core housing need when their dwelling is considered unsuitable, inadequate, or unaffordable, and when the household cannot afford alternative housing in their community.