Infographic: Inequalities in housing below standards in Canada

Pan-Canadian Health Inequalities Reporting Initiative

Inequalities in Housing Below Standards in Canada

9.4 million Canadians live in housing below standards.^{Footnote *}

This means that their housing:

• costs more than they can afford, and/or
• is crowded, and/or
• requires major repairs

High cost of housing is the most common reason for Canadians to live in housing below standards.

Poor housing conditions including issues such as mould, safety, crowding, and unaffordability, have been associated with a wide range of health conditions among adults:

• chronic diseases
• infectious disease such as tuberculosis
• injuries (e.g. falls among seniors)
• poor mental health
• adverse childhood development

Housing below standards might be experienced by Canadians in all socioeconomic groups but is particularly concentrated among those with the lowest socioeconomic status:

Individuals in housing below standards by income

By income	Prevalence (%)
Lowest income	75
	42
	25
	16
Highest income	10

Individuals (ages 20+ years) in housing below standards by education

Individuals	Prevalence (%)
Less than high school	34
	28
	25
University degree	25

Individuals (ages 18–75 years) in housing below standards by employment

By employment	Prevalence (%)
Unemployed, currently not looking for work	32
Unemployed, currently looking for work	37
Employed	23

Housing below standards is:

• 2.0 times higher among recent immigrants than among Canadian-born people
• 1.8 times higher among visible minority Canadians than among non-visible minority Canadians

Addressing housing below standards by improving the quality and by increasing the availability of adequate and affordable housing, including social housing, has the potential to reduce health inequalities in chronic and infectious diseases and injuries.

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Source: National Household Survey (2011)

For more data on health inequalities in Canada, visit:
www.health-infobase.canada.ca/health-inequalities

Suggested citation: Public Health Agency of Canada. Key Health Inequalities in Canada: A National Portrait. Ottawa: Public Health Agency of Canada; 2018.

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Health, 2019 | Cat.: HP35-113/8-2019E-PDF | ISBN: 978-0-660-29692-0 | Pub.: 180792