United Way Toronto York Region (National Housing Collaborative)

Background

Building on the success of the Foundation-supported GTA Housing Action Lab, Canada’s housing sector has formed the National Housing Collaborative to engage and convene stakeholders in six Canadian cities to develop three to five consensus recommendations for the federal housing strategy. Led by United Way Toronto York Region, the current partners are:

• Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness
• Canadian Federation of Apartment Associations
• Canadian Home Builders’ Association
• Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA)
• Co-Operative Housing Federation of Canada
• Housing Partnership Canada
• United Way Centraide Canada
• United Way Toronto & York Region

Full Description

In 2016-17, United Ways in six cities (Vancouver, Calgary or Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax) will convene stakeholder groups to identify local and regional housing priorities. A research working-group will complement the partnership table to provide expertise and oversight to the policy development process. Based on these findings, the collaboration will develop three to five policy recommendations that will:

• increase the amount of new affordable housing for low and moderate income households;
• unlock capital and financing for affordable housing;
• create financial structures to preserve housing affordability.

A grant from the Foundation will support the cost of travel, stakeholder engagement and convening across the country. It will also support research and policy development to integrate findings from the local consultations. Coalition members will join a national partnership table that sets priorities and research agendas, and provides strategic direction to the project, while maintaining a consultative relationship with CMHC.