New report calls for permanent housing benefit to address Canada’s housing crisis

Canada’s housing crisis is pushing more people into homelessness and poverty, yet government policies continue to overlook a crucial solution: income security. A new report from Maytree highlights the need for a permanent housing benefit to help people with low income to afford skyrocketing rents.

Housing that is affordable is a human right, but rents are rising much faster than families’ ability to pay. The report challenges the assumption that government policies that encourage more supply of private rental units will solve the crisis. The private market won’t build deeply affordable housing because there’s no profit in it. Even a massive construction boom in non-market housing would take too long to help families struggling today.

The solution is a permanent, predictable, and easy-to-access housing benefit – funded jointly by federal and provincial governments and paired with strong rent regulations. Programs like the Canada Child Benefit have lifted families out of poverty, and a housing benefit can do the same – ensuring families can afford next month’s rent while governments work on long-term solutions.

Housing policy discussions have long ignored income security. Maytree’s report fills this gap, making the case for immediate action. More details on the design of a housing benefit will be explored in future publications.

Read the report, “Why income support is good housing policy: A new case for a permanent benefit in Canada,” here: https://maytree.com/publications/why-income-support-is-good-housing-policy-a-new-case-for-a-permanent-housing-benefit-in-canada/