A new report by Abacus Data has found that 73% of Canadians see co-operative and non-profit housing providers as viable solutions to the housing crisis.
Commissioned by Canada’s Cooperative Housing Federation, in partnership with the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH) and the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), the report is based on a survey of 6,000 Canadian adults between 26 September and October 9 2024.
It found that while 78% of respondents were familiar with the concept of non-profit and co-op housing, 64% admitted to lacking a detailed understanding of how these housing models operate.
After learning more about these models, respondents said they saw the models as affordable housing options for low- and middle-income individuals (57%), fostering community and shared responsibility (46%), and promoting long-term stability (45%). Around 43% also said these models reduce the influence of corporate landlords and limit real estate speculation, highlighting its potential as a tool for creating a fairer housing market.
The survey also revealed there is a need for awareness raising with a third (32%) of respondents saying they would be more interested in non-profit and co-op housing if they had more information.
Around 41% also expressed openness to non-profit and co-op housing while exploring other alternatives.
Related: How Canadian co-ops are using local communities to raise funding
Asked whether enough non-profit and co-op housing options were available in their communities, 60% of respondents said this was not the case, with those from Quebec (68%), British Columbia (61%), and Atlantic Canada (60%), highlighting the perceived scarcity of these housing solutions across the country.
And while 61% of respondents said increasing the number of non-profit and co-op homes should be a high priority, 34% of Canadians believed non-profit and co-op housing should be a primary focus in providing affordable options. A larger share (43%) said it should complement other market-based solutions which only 10% seeing it as an unviable option for most people.
Respondents were also asked to choose between a list of strategies they thought would be most effective to improve access to nonprofit and co-op housing. Around (54%) chose tying federal funding to provincial and municipal housing commitments, with 53% backed direct government investment in new non-profit and co-op housing developments. Other strategies chosen were prioritising public land (50%) and offering provincial loans and grants (48%).
Around 48% of respondents also think the federal government should empower non-profits and co-ops to purchase private rental properties.
“It’s time to build. Working with government partners, the co-op housing sector is ready to put shovels in the ground,” said CHF in response to the findings. “More affordable, secure and inclusive co-op housing is possible, and Canadians are calling for it.”
Canada has housing co‑operatives in every province and territory, with a total of 2,200 housing co‑ops providing homes to a quarter of a million people in over 90,000 households.
