Canada announces $1.7M to advance housing research

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), Canada will provide $1.7 million in financial support through the National Housing Strategy Research and Planning Fund for 15 new planning, research, and knowledge mobilization initiatives. Spanning British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan, the selected initiatives aim to fill critical knowledge gaps and improve housing outcomes for Canada’s most vulnerable populations.

The housing research fund targets key NHS priorities, focusing on groups including seniors, women and children, Indigenous peoples, newcomers, individuals experiencing homelessness, people with disabilities, and young adults. By supporting these diverse efforts, CMHC hopes to deepen the sector’s understanding of housing needs and help build lasting research capacity in affordable housing.

The selected projects reflect a wide array of pressing issues in Canada’s rental and community housing landscape. Highlights include housing research on zoning regulations and their impact on housing supply (ON), a new housing model for autistic adults (QC), and innovative solutions for community acquisition of deeply affordable housing (BC). Other projects examine culturally relevant data collection for Métis populations (SK, ON), supportive housing strategies for Black youth (ON), and resilience planning in the face of climate-driven insurance shifts. Two notable Indigenous-led initiatives include an assessment of the Sagatay men’s transitional housing program (ON) and a housing needs assessment tool (BC), which seeks to inform future developments rooted in community expertise.

Through this targeted funding, CMHC says it is “reinforcing its commitment to evidence-based decision-making and collaborative innovation in the housing sector.”

The NHS Research and Planning Fund is open to not-for-profits, registered charities, and Indigenous organizations, and aims to promote collaboration, evidence-driven strategies, and long-term capacity building in housing research. The Fund has an annual budget allocation of $750,000 that covers all three activity streams, broken down as follows:

1. Planning activities: up to $75,000 over a maximum duration of 12 months.
2. Research projects: up to $250,000 over a maximum duration of 24 months.
3. Knowledge mobilization projects: up to $75,000 over a maximum duration of 12 months.

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