Housing

The need to address housing access and affordability

With the cost-of-living crisis, more people are finding themselves unable to afford basic necessities of life, like housing. People who have always had a secure home are now finding that they cannot afford to keep a roof over their heads and are experiencing  homelessness. The increased demand for the most acute support systems for urgent help, such as shelters, further strains an already overloaded system.

Some members of our communities are especially vulnerable because of rising housing costs. The lack of affordable housing may mean that a person experiencing intimate partner violence is less able to leave, or that a newcomer family has a more difficult time finding their footing. As the gap widens between those who can afford safe and secure housing and those who cannot, it can further heighten existing inequality. 

On this page:

• Over 7,000 households are on London’s subsidized housing waitlist

• Majority of people who receive Ontario Works or Ontario Disability Support Program assistance do not live in subsidized housing

• Core housing need lessens between 2016 and 2021

• There isn’t enough affordable housing in the City of London

• Rents are increasing in London and Middlesex County

• Asking prices for rent are increasing rapidly

By the Numbers

Core housing need lessens between 2016 and 2021

According to CMHC, a household is in ‘core housing need’ if its housing falls below at least one of the adequacy, affordability, or suitability standards, and it would have to spend 30% or more of its total before-tax income on rent to find an acceptable home. Acceptable housing is adequate in condition, suitable in size, and affordable. The percentage of households in London and Middlesex in core housing need improved in all municipalities between 2011 and 2021, thanks in part to rent freezes put in place during the pandemic.

Source: Statistics Canada and CMHC

There isn’t enough affordable housing in the City of London

A household that spends more than 30% of its pre-tax income surpasses the gross shelter ratio - a measure of housing affordability. In periods of low interest rates, renters are more impacted by the 30% cut-off. As interest rates increase, becoming a homeowner becomes less feasible, and more people find themselves exceeding the gross shelter ratio and in search of a new home.

Source: Statistics Canada and CMHC

Rents are increasing in London and Middlesex County

Rising rent is not just an urban issue – rental prices in Strathroy in Middlesex County are rising as quickly, and in some cases, faster, than in London.

Source: Statistics Canada and CMHC. Table 34-10-0133-01  Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, average rents for areas with a population of 10,000 and over

Asking prices for rent are increasing rapidly

There is a gap between what people are paying for rent and current asking rates in London. When people can stay in their homes, their rent cannot increase as quickly. If people are removed from their homes for reasons beyond their control, they can expect to pay an additional $600 more in rent than their previous home. 

Sources: Statistics Canada and CMHC. Table 34-10-0133-01  Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, average rents for areas with a population of 10,000 and over. Rentals.ca national rent reports.

*Average rents are from 6+ unit buildings only, asking rents are from all property types.