Area of Inquiry IV: Understanding and evaluating models of community housing

The NHS signals an intention to invest in, and collaborate with, diverse providers and models to foster a sustainable community housing system.

It identifies organizational challenges limiting the sector’s performance, including “unsustainable operating and financing conditions”, “costs associated with deferred maintenance” and “[weak] coordination of social housing." In response, the NHS prioritizes communities and partnerships.

Housing programs should:

  • Align with other public investments in communities (e.g. public transport, education, healthcare), implement local solutions to housing challenges, and support Canada’s climate change and accessibility commitments.

Housing policy should:

  • Centre on a “transparent and accountable partnership between [governments], the social and private sectors, and people with lived experience of housing need.”

  • Partnerships with Indigenous housing providers “must be co-developed and founded in the values of self- determination, reconciliation, respect and cooperation.

Cooperative and co-housing models are currently under-utilized in Canada, but have potential to improve affordability and empower residents through participatory decision-making, and may have particular value for Indigenous communities. Multi-sector partnerships between housing providers, social services, governments and financial institutions can address funding challenges, sector fragmentation and organizational inefficiencies. Potential benefits include greater inclusion of vulnerable groups, 83-84 and improved financial viability for more diverse housing options and improved financial viability for providers.

We ask: What approaches to the organization and delivery of community housing have been developed, and how do they achieve operational efficiencies and meet diverse needs?

Area of Inquiry IV has four objectives: 1. To document organizational models used in community housing across Canada 2. To evaluate those models against NHS priorities for communities and partnerships 3. To assess models’ ability to meet the needs of residents, including vulnerable populations 4. To analyze if and how models contribute to sustainability (in terms of structures that support operational efficiency) and resilience (in terms of being creative, flexible and connected).

Area Lead

Rebecca Schiff, PhD

Lakehead University

Dr. Schiff's research investigates community health and social issues for marginalized communities across diverse urban, rural, and remote geographies. This includes a focus on determinants of community wellbeing, social service systems, and social aspects of sustainability, with an emphasis on community – engaged methodologies, community co - generation of knowledge, and integrated knowledge translation.

Co-Investigators

Tom Baker, PhD

University of Auckland

Dr. Baker's research focuses on how public policies are made and implemented. Specifically, his research focuses on policies and practices related to homelessness, housing, social security, and drug treatment.

Jim Dunn, PhD

McMaster University

Dr. Dunn is an expert in the relationship between neighbourhoods, housing and health. His work investigates the impact of housing and neighbourhood interventions on healthy child development.

Laurence Murphy, PhD

University of Auckland

Dr. Murphy has published widely on property topics including; homeownership, social rental housing, mortgage securitisation, office development, the institutional evolution of listed property trusts, finance capital and entrepreneurial urban governance.

Russell Richman, PhD

Ryerson University

Dr. Richman is a civil engineer and building scientist with a private consulting practice. His building science research focuses on improving energy efficiency.

Post-Doctoral Fellow

Travis Hay, PhD

Travis Hay is a Canadian historian of medicine whose research focuses on settler colonial inequities and federal Indian policy in northwestern Ontario. In his past work, Travis mapped out the history of Indian Health Services in the region. Bringing a historical perspective and regional expertise to the project, Travis will look to identify best practices as well as service gaps in the region to put in conversation with research done in other locales.

"As someone born and raised in Thunder Bay, I see an urgent and pressing need in my community for innovative housing solutions. Sadly, the gaps in care in northwestern Ontario can sometimes be more accurately described as chasms. I am truly excited to join a team so powerfully positioned to identify possible solutions to the problems most immediately impacting my community. Working in Thunder Bay as a researcher as well as a community advocate affords me an important perspective that will serve the partnership well; at the same time, I am truly excited to learn from folks beyond my ‘hometown’ and to see what creative solutions and supports exist on a national (or even international) level."

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Graduate Student Opportunities

Interested in joining our partnership as a graduate student? We are now recruiting! Contact Us.

PhD Students

The University of Auckland's School of Environment is offering stipends to support one PhD student. The PhD student will be supervised by Tom Baker and Laurence Murphy.