HART releases it’s “More Housing Here” report on the housing yield of public land
Our latest report, “More Housing Here,” establishes a methodology for estimating just how much housing could reasonably be built on the public land mapped in 11 communities across Canada. The methodology takes into account existing urban planning conventions and infrastructure capacity, as well as the size of sites (recognizing that very small sites are difficult to develop and very large sites often require more complex community and infrastructure planning), meaning that the estimated number of homes (and people housed) is not only realistic, it’s somewhat conservative.
In light of the our Land Assessment Maps going into the archive (or coming down entirely), this report highlights how data can hold governments and communities responsible for building the housing their community needs. The methodology establishes priorities (vacant parcels with ample nearby amenities through to underused parcels that are not well-serviced by amenities), and provides an expansive view of how communities can better understand and plan for the land they have at their disposal.
What can I do with these numbers?
While these figures are not definitive, they are a great starting point to imagine how the mapped communities (and any community in Canada) could make significant progress in reducing their housing need and providing a level of affordability that is otherwise unachievable in the market.
More importantly, these numbers can be used to advocate for building housing on government land. Use them alongside our Housing Needs Assessment Tool to see how many households in need could be lifted into secure, community housing on publicly-owned land. Use the methodology alongside our Land Assessment Tool (for a limited time!) to look at public land near you and think about how many neighbours could be housed there. We all have the ability to envision a more equitable future for housing; HART has the data to support the pathway there.
HART works with population data, housing data, and land data across Canada to help communities, non-profits, and the public to better understand the housing realities for people across the country, and make better decisions to improve those realities. If you want to work with HART, or if you’d like to learn more about our work, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Read the Report
