HART for the Public
Your community deserves affordable housing.
Across Canada, families are struggling to find homes they can afford. Young people are being pushed out of the neighborhoods they grew up in. Essential workers can’t afford to live in the communities they serve.
But here’s the good news: You don’t need to be a policy expert to make a difference. HART provides free, easy-to-use tools that show you exactly what your community needs—and how to advocate for solutions that work.
Whether you’re a concerned neighbor, a community advocate, or just someone who cares, you can use our tools to push for real change.
Three free tools to transform your community
Tool 1: Find out what housing your community actually needs
The Housing Needs Assessment Tool
See exactly what housing your community needs—and what people can actually afford.
What you’ll discover:
- How many homes are needed at different price points
- What sizes work for families, seniors, and individuals
- Which income groups need the most help
- Real data for every Canadian community
Here’s why this matters: If your community needs 3,000 apartments under $600/month, building 5,000 high end condos isn’t doing the right work. You need the right data to advocate for the right solutions.
📊 Key Insight
90% of households in housing need are paying more than 30% of their income on housing. Income-based planning is the most effective way to build communities that work for everyone.
Our tool uses reliable Statistics Canada census data, updated every five years. It’s the only free public tool that breaks down housing need by income, household size, and priority populations.
Tool 2: Find hidden land that could become affordable housing
The Land Assessment Tool
Did you know that land costs anywhere from 30-80% of building expenses?
That’s why finding government-owned land is one of the fastest ways to create affordable housing.
Our tool helps you:
- Discover vacant government-owned land in your community
- Identify “underused land”—like a small post office or library where housing could be built on top
- See which sites are best suited for housing based on proximity to essential services
We rank every site based on how close it is to what matters most:
- Childcare
- Primary & secondary schools
- Healthcare
- Pharmacies
- Libraries
- Community centres
- Parks
- Grocery stores
- Public transit
Double benefit: Our tool can also reveal gaps in your community. If a neighborhood ranks poorly for grocery store access, there might be an opportunity to build housing above a new grocery store on that land.
Tool 3: Stop losing affordable homes before they’re gone
The Property Acquisitions Tool
⚠️ Shocking fact: For every affordable home Canada builds, we lose up to 15 through rising costs and redevelopment.
Building alone isn’t enough. We also need to preserve the affordable housing that already exists. When governments or non-profits acquire buildings, those homes are far more likely to stay affordable long-term.
What’s the best strategy for your community?
Our Property Acquisitions Tool includes:
- Help evaluating your community’s resources and selecting the right approach
- A database of proven acquisition strategies from Canada, the US, and around the world
- Policy guides for communities of all sizes
New to housing policy? Start here.
Learn how to use our tools yourself
Join our free e-learning course! Whether you’re just learning about the housing crisis or ready to take action, this course walks you through everything you need to know.
What you’ll learn:
- The basics of Canada’s housing crisis
- How to use HART tools to gather data
- How to advocate for better housing decisions in your community
- How to present findings to local officials and community groups
Available in English and French | 100% Free | Self-Paced
How does this all translate to government policy?
Understanding your community’s needs is the first step. But how do you turn data into action?
That’s where policy comes in.
We’ve created concrete policy recommendations that show elected officials and decision-makers how to use HART tools to support housing affordability. Whether your community is large or small, urban or rural, we have actionable guidance.
