National Consultation on Developing a Canadian Housing Framework

Abstract

The success of a comprehensive national housing strategy depends on the ability to deliver a wide range of program initiatives under many different sets of circumstances. Models of delivery have to be results based, flexible and accommodate multiple stakeholders. Delivery models must accommodate a range of household types– households on social assistance, the working poor, people with mental and physical disabilities, Aboriginal people, seniors, single parents and other groups, each with their own special needs and circumstances. They also have to be flexible enough to deliver program funding in communities with varying levels of capacity, municipalities with different levels of interest and funding capacity, rural and remote areas, large and small urban centers, inner city and suburban situations. The ability to accommodate the myriad jurisdictional complexities – no small issue in the Canadian context – is also important. The paper highlights important principles for delivery models, discuss models that have evolved over time, and suggest a framework that could be considered to deliver a long-term housing strategy for Canadians.