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Tuesday, January 30, 2007
For immediate release
Almost 3 million households
paying more than they can afford for housing
Ottawa – Almost one-quarter of Canadian households - more than 2,700,000 households - are paying too much of their income to keep a roof over their heads. And calculations done by the Canadian Council on Social Development (CCSD) show that it is families who rent that are the most likely to have to pay a disproportionate amount of their household income for shelter - almost 40% of all tenant households.
"This creates a financial tightrope that is especially tough on families, particularly in the post-holiday season," says CCSD President Peter Bleyer. "Everyone from bankers to financial planners to housing experts agree that 30% of your income is the most you should have to pay for a safe and healthy place to live. Yet it is a near-impossible goal for many Canadians - even those who work full-time."
The report was released at a CCSD-sponsored meeting of community planners. It indicates that provincially, nearly 45% of renters in British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland paid more than one-third of their income on shelter costs.
Regionally, the largest proportion of households paying more than one-third of their income on rent lived in Cape Breton, Kingston, and Thunder Bay. Nearly half the renters in both Victoria and Peterborough faced similar circumstances.
And although Quebec had the highest proportion of renters, tenant households in the province were the least likely to have to pay more than 30% of their income on rent.
Data from the Urban Poverty Project also show that in 2000, more than 13% of Canadian families lived at or below the poverty line. According to the Census, 16% of families in Newfoundland were poor – the highest percentage in the country. The lowest proportion of poor families lived in Prince Edward Island and Alberta.
"There’s no question that urban poverty is a core reality in Canada," says Bleyer. "Not only are 38% of all unattached Canadians poor, they are living in urban areas where their chances of finding a decent and affordable place to live have been compromised. Canada has failed to develop a national vision that supports community solutions."
As part of the CCSD’s Urban Poverty Project, Community Profiles presents national and provincial data about population, households, and employment. The document then 'drills down' to provide equivalent information at the community level. This report is the first of a series of products examining trends in poverty across Canada using data and analyses from the 2001 Census.
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Note to Editors:
The CCSD works in partnership on these issues with numerous organizations across the country and has contact information for knowledgeable spokespeople at the community level, including contacts in Greater Vancouver, Victoria, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Kingston, Halton, and Saint John.
Please contact Nancy Perkins at the CCSD at 613-236-5868, ext. 229 or by e-mail at perkins@ccsd.ca for more information.
As Canada's oldest non-profit research organization, the CCSD has members and partners throughout the country who address national issues from the community perspective.
Urban Poverty Project 2007 report and related material
Canadian Council on Social Development,
190 O'Connor Street, Suite 100,
Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2R3
Tel: (613) 236-8977, Fax: (613) 236-2750, Web: www.ccsd.ca, Email: council@ccsd.ca
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