Why core housing need is a poor metric to measure outcomes of Canada’s national housing strategy

This essay examines the overlap of welfare assistance and core housing need in the context of proposed targets for monitoring progress in a new National Housing Strategy. It determines that a majority of renters in core need depend on welfare income. The structure of welfare benefits seriously distorts the measurement of housing need. The essay concludes that renter core housing need is a very weak and inappropriate measure to assess outcomes under the proposed strategy. In fact, it sets up the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and the federal minister for failure.

ISBN – 1-55382-687-6