We are delighted to announce that, thanks to a successful proposal for a SSHRC-CMHC Partnership Grant, the HRC is the lead organization of a group of organizations and researchers that form the Balanced Supply of Housing Node of the Collaborative Housing Research Network (CHRN). The CHRN is a joint initiative between the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Created to support research, innovation, and new housing solutions with a multi-disciplinary approach, this program is part of the enhanced research agenda under Canada’s National Housing Strategy (NHS). The Node activities will continue until 2025.
Housing for Canada’s population has reached crisis proportions in many parts of the country, especially in major urban centres, with rampant homelessness and significant mismatches between the cost of housing and average incomes. Our node is focused on the Balanced Supply of Housing thematic priority in the NHS and will produce cutting-edge research guided by two interconnected sub-themes, “Reshaping the Financialization of Housing” and “Innovating in Responsive Land Practices”. The work of the Node will support policy decision-making at all levels of government, bridging gaps between research evidence and housing outcomes.
The Node is also supported by the UBC Research Excellence Clusters initiative on a year by year basis. Learn more about the Balanced Supply of Housing Research Cluster by clicking in the image below.
Building on GenSqueeze’s previous work and numerous interviews with Node members, we have developed a comprehensive, shared housing policy framework to 1) Unite and contextualize the work of individual Node members; 2) Inform allocation of Node funds for project grants; 3) Anchor knowledge mobilization activities over the remainder of the collaboration. Explore the policy framework using the following visualization or take a look at the “What we heard” report for more information.
Who is Involved?
The Principal Investigator for this initiative is Dr. Penny Gurstein. The rest of the team is configured as follows:
Co-Investigators
Martine August – University of Waterloo, School of Planning
Susannah Bunce – University of Toronto, Department of Human Geography
Tom Davidoff – University of British Columbia, Sauder School of Business
Alexandra Flynn – University of British Columbia, Peter A. Allard School of Law
Lu Han – University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management
Julia Harten – University of British Columbia, School of Community and Regional Planning
Zachary Hyde – University of Toronto, Department of Human Geography
Kuni Kamizaki – University of Toronto, Department of Geography and Planning
Paul Kershaw – University of British Columbia, School of Population and Public Health
Nathanael Lauster – University of British Columbia, Department of Sociology
Nemoy Lewis – Toronto Metropolitan University, School of Urban and Regional Planning
Nik Luka – McGill University, School of Planning and Architecture and School of Environment
Julie Mah – University of Toronto, Department of Human Geography
Jean-Philippe Meloche – University of Montreal, School of Urbanism and Landscape Architecture
David Wachsmuth – McGill University, School of Urban Planning
Alan Walks – University of Toronto (Mississauga), Department of Geography and Planning
Partner Organizations
Aboriginal Housing Management Association
Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario
BC Non-Profit Housing Association
Evergreen
Generation Squeeze
Kensington Market Community Land Trust
Neighbourhood Land Trust
Parkdale Activity Recreation Centre
Réseau Québécois des OSBL d’habitation
UBC School of Community and Regional Planning
University of Waterloo
Wellesley Institute
West Neighbourhood House
Collaborators
Cheryll Case – CP Planning
Nicole Gurran – University of Sydney, School of Architecture, Design and Planning
J David Hulchansky – University of Toronto, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work
Mark Joseph – Case Western Reserve University, Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences
Amy Khare – Case Western Reserve University, Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences
David Ley – University of British Columbia, Department of Geography
Markus Moos – University of Waterloo, School of Planning
Kathleen Scanlon – London School of Economics and Political Science
Alex Schwartz – The New School, Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment
Maged Senbel – University of British Columbia, School of Community and Regional Planning
Sheryl Staub-French – University of British Columbia, Department of Civil Engineering
Elvin Wyly – University of British Columbia, Department of Geography
Andy Yan – Simon Fraser University, City Program
Committees and Working Groups
Central Coordinating Committee
Penny Gurstein
Academic Co-chair
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, BC
Marika Albert
Community Co-chair
B.C. Non-Profit Housing Association
Vancouver, BC
Knowledge Mobilization Committee
Alexandra Flynn
Academic Co-chair
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, BC
Cheryll Case
Community Co-chair
CP Planning
Toronto, ON
Reshaping the Financialization of Housing Working Group
Alan Walks
Academic Co-chair
University of Toronto
Toronto, ON
Tom Davidoff
Academic Co-chair
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, BC
Victor Willis
Community Co-chair
Parkdale Activity – Recreation Centre
Toronto, ON
Innovating in Responsive Land Practices Working Group
Susannah Bunce
Academic Co-chair
University of Toronto
Toronto, ON
Nik Luka
Academic Co-chair
University of McGill
Montreal, QC
Joshua Barndt
Community Co-chair
Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust
Toronto, BC
Click here access the latest version.
Funded Proposals
August 2020 Funding Window
Comparative Projects
- Principal Investigator: Alex Flynn (UBC)
- Co-Investigators: Tom Davidoff (UBC), Penny Gurstein (UBC), Nik Luka (McGill), Alan Walks (U of T)
- Research Themes: Reshaping the Financialization of Housing / Innovating in Responsive Land Practices
- Principal Investigator: Paul Kershaw (UBC)
- Co-Investigator: Magdalena Janus (McMaster), Eric Duku (McMaster), Nazeem Muhajarine (U Sask), Marni Brownell (U Manitoba), Martin Guhn (UBC), Barry Forer (UBC)
- Research Theme: Reshaping the Financialization of Housing
Assessing the Impact of Short-term Rentals on Canada’s Housing Supply
- Principal Investigator: David Wachsmuth (McGill)
- Research Theme: Reshaping the Financialization of Housing
New Directions in Affordability-Focused Land Policy and Practice
- Principal Investigator: Penny Gurstein (UBC)
- Research Theme: Innovating in Responsive Land Practices
Community-focused Projects
Partna Housing – Scattered Housing Trust Model Design
- Principal Investigator: Cheryll Case (CP Planning)
- Co-Investigators: Alan Walks (U of T), Susannah Bunce (U of T)
- Research Themes: Reshaping the Financialization of Housing
Expansion of Laneway Homes in Vancouver: household acceptance and builders’ choices
- Principal Investigator: Tom Davidoff (UBC)
- Co-Investigators: Tsur Somerville (UBC), Andrey Pavlov (SFU)
- Research Themes: Innovating in Responsive Land Practices
A Community Action Research Project on Tower Rentals in Parkdale
- Principal Investigator: Joshua Barndt (NLT)
- Co-Investigators: Martine August (Waterloo), Scott Leon (Wellesley Insitute)
- BSH Community Partners: The Neighbourhood Land Trust, Parkdale People’s Economy / PARC
- Research Themes: Innovating in Responsive Land Practices
- Principal Investigator: Susannah Bunce (U of T)
- BSH Community Partners: Dominique Russell and Kevin Barrett, Kensington Market Community Land Trust
- Research Themes: Innovating in Responsive Land Practices
November 2020 Funding Window
Comparative Projects
Indigenizing Supportive Housing: The Dual Model of Housing Care
- Principal Investigator: Penny Gurstein (UBC)
- Co-Investigators: Fran Hunt-Jinnouchi (ACEH)
- Community Partner: Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness
- Research Themes: Innovating in Responsive Land Practices
Community-focused Projects
- Principal Investigator: Cloe St-Hilaire (RCLALQ)
- Co-Investigators: David Wachsmuth (McGill)
- Community Partner: RCLALQ
- Research Themes: Reshaping the Financialization of Housing
- Principal Investigator: Nik Luka (McGill)
- Community Partner: Table habitation de Lachine
- Research Themes: Innovating in Responsive Land Practices
Urban Indigenous Housing in British Columbia: Municipal responses through housing policy and plans
- Principal Investigator: Margaret Low (UBC)
- Co-Investigators: Penny Gurstein (UBC)
- BSH Community Partners: Aboriginal Housing Management Association
- Research Themes: Innovating in Responsive Land Practices
March 2021 Funding Window
Comparative Projects
- Principal Investigator: Nik Luka (McGill)
- Community Partner: ERA Architects (Toronto and Montréal), Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal (Montréal)
- Research Themes: Innovating in Responsive Land Practices
Community-focused Projects
- Principal Investigator: Keyan Ye, Christina Mahut (McGill)
- Co-Investigators: Nik Luka (McGill)
- Community Partner: Village Urbain (Estelle Le Roux Joky & Pascal Huynh)
- Research Themes: Reshaping the Financialization of Housing, Innovating in Responsive Land Practices
Who Owns Chinatown? Mapping Ownership and Precarity to Mobilize a Community Land Trust
- Principal Investigator: Kuni Kamizaki (U of T)
- Co-Investigators: Susannah Bunce (U of T)
- Community Partner: Friends of Chinatown Toronto (FOCT)
- Research Themes: Innovating in Responsive Land Practices
Mapping the Zoning of First Nations in Metro Vancouver
- Principal Investigator: Alexandra Flynn (UBC)
- Co-Investigators: Nathanael Lauster (UBC), Jens Von Bergmann, (MountainMath)
- Community Partner: Khelsilem, Councillor from Squamish Nation, (advising).
- Research Themes: Innovating in Responsive Land Practices
November 2021 Funding Window
Comparative Projects
Partna in Solidarity – Phase II: Exploring the Scattered Land Trust Mode in Toronto and Vancouver
- Principal Investigator: Cheryll Case (CP Planning)
- Co-Investigators: Alan Walks, (U of T), Alexandra Flynn (UBC)
- Community Partner: Solidarity Housing
- Research Themes: Reshaping the Financialization of Housing, Innovating in Responsive Land Practices
- Principal Investigator: Alina McKay (UBC)
- Co-Investigators: Nathanael Lauster (UBC)
- Community Partner: BC Society of Transition Houses (BCSTH)
- Research Themes: Innovating in Responsive Land Practices
April 2022 Funding Window
Comparative Projects
Tracking the Sale of Multi-Family Rental Buildings to Financialized Landlords in Vancouver
- Principal Investigator: Alan Walks (U of T)
- Co-Investigators: Craig Jones (UBC), Dr. Nemoy Lewis
- Community Partner: BC Non-Profit Housing Association
- Research Themes: Reshaping the Financialization of Housing
- Principal Investigator: Nik Luka (McGill)
- Community Partner: C. Speckert, LGA Architectural Partners, Toronto (Project leader); M. Eliason, Larch Lab (Seattle, USA); D. Hine, David Hine Engineering Inc., Toronto; F. Lohmann, Canadian Home Builders’ Association, Ottawa; D. MacMillan, Environment & Energy Division, City of Toronto, Toronto; B. Scorgie, SvN Architects + Planners, Toronto
- Research Themes: Innovating in Responsive Land Practices
Comparing First Nations Led Land and Housing Regulation Models across Metro Vancouver
- Principal Investigator: Nathanael Lauster (UBC)
- Co-Investigators: Alex Flynn (UBC)
- Community Partner: Jens von Bergmann, Mountainmath
- Research Themes: Innovating in Responsive Land Practices
Community-focused Projects
- Principal Investigator: Adam Mongrain
- Co-Investigators: Nik Luka (McGill)
- Community Partner: Vivre en Ville
- Research Themes: Reshaping the Financialization of Housing, Innovating in Responsive Land Practices