One in eight Canadian households live in housing that is either unaffordable, in disrepair, or crowded. In large cities such as Toronto, and amongst particular populations such as Aboriginal peoples and recent immigrants, this ratio is even higher. 

Affordability is being threatened as the costs of housing increase faster than many incomes. As well, few new private affordable rental buildings are being built due to market constraints. This is forcing an increasing number of people to stretch their budgets in order to pay higher rents in buildings of decreasing quality. A new generation of affordable housing units is required.