Housing Research

HRM Housing and Homelessness Home

Housing and Homelessness Resource Guide

Housing and Homelessnes Research Reports

Housing Statistics

Quality of Life Reporting System

Where to Find Housing in HRM

Housing and Homelessness Research

Conference_Proceedings Portrait_Streets_Shelters_Vol2 Cost of homelessness report 2006

Since 2003 HRM staff has been involved in research, outreach and facilitation activities related to housing and homelessness. On this page you will find links to reports published by HRM as well as several produced by some of our community partners. We gratefully acknowledge the support of Community Action on Homelessness (CAH) and the National Homelessness Initiative's Supporting Community Partnerships Initiative for funding that assisted HRM in carrying out this work.

HRM Publications

Useful Fact Sheets

Other Publications

Research Links

HRM & Associated Publications

NEW NEWS! Halifax Regional Municipality continues to contribute to housing research issues through its involvement with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). The Mayor is a member of the Big City Mayor's Caucus which sponsors the Quality of Life Reporting System. As well, FCM has a long establish affordable housing policy development group, the Canadian Municipal Housing Affordability Network or CMHAN. These two groups have recently released joint reports. The QOLRS Theme #4 Report "Trends & Issues in Affordable Housing & Homelessness" Jauary 2008. Affordability issues are looked at in depth and the reasons for persistent homelessness are explored. The report utilizes many of the 72 QOLRS indicators and many more measures to provide useful analysis for housing renewal, investment and restorative supportive housing approaches.

On January 23, 2008 FCM released the report "Sustaining The Momentum: Recommendations For a National Action Plan On Housing and Homelessness"

Through a range of measures and approaches, the strategy
sets out goals:
• Eliminate chronic homelessness in 10 years;
• Reduce core housing need by 25 per cent (to less than
one million households); and
• Preserve and modernize Canada’s social housing assets
so they can continue to serve future generations of
households in need.
With all orders of government working together with community
and private-sector stakeholders through a comprehensive
strategy, these goals are achievable.

In presenting these recommendations, specific targets
have been identified. A national reporting system should
be established to explicitly monitor and measure outcomes
against the targets and, where necessary, refine targets
and adapt priorities.

FCM Quality of Life Reporting System reports and indicator data on housing and affordability can found at: http://www.fcm.ca/english/qol/qol.html

The Cost of Homelessness Report was launched in November by CAH at its Research Group Conference. The Cost of Homelessness and the Value of Investment in Housing Support Services in Halifax June 2006 - Word Format or pdf format - homelessness_cost .

The report was prepared by The Cities Environmental Unit, Dalhousie University School of Planning. HRM Community Development, Social Policy Division, in support of the Community Action on Homelessness Action Research Group, designed and coordinated the research project. The project was funded by the Government of Canada, National Homelessness Initiative(NHI) Supporting Community Partnerships Initiative Program.

Stories of People At Risk of Homelessness-

"A Snapshot of Consumers in Downtown Dartmouth

Using Emergency Social Services As Core Services : User Survey Report 2006". CSUS_FINAL REPORT Jan 08-07 -pdf format . This report was developed in cooperation with The Public Good Society of Dartmouth. A group of concerned citizens investigated their concerns about the quality of life of those vulnerable citizens in the downtown Dartmouth urban core who rely on the social service network. The report recommendations were presented to the public and referred to government for consideration. HRM Community Development, Social Policy Development sponsored the project and played an advisory role. The report is the product of the Public Good Society of Dartmouth.The project was funded by Service Canada.

The Many Faces of Homelessness: Transforming Research into Action, Proceedings from CAH Research Conference 2005, November 29 & 30

Homelessness in HRM:Portrait of Streets and Shelters Vol 2 (March 2005)

Literature Review: Housing and Homelessness Research in the Halifax Regional Municipality (Original 2003) Updated March 2005

Affordable Housing Handbook: Affordable Housing Programs in the Halifax Area (March 2005)

Municipal Land Use Policy and Housing Affordability in Halifax Regional Municipality (March 2004)

Homelessness in HRM: Portrait of Streets and Shelters (January 2004)

The Potential for Partnership in Community Reinvestment and Affordable Housing in HRM (June 2004)

"Everyone Has a Right to a Home!" A Community Needs Assessment of Harm Reduction Supports for the "Hard to House" in the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) (December 2003)

Public Perception of Homelessness and Housing Affordability in the Halifax Regional Municipality (November 2003)

Homes First: Opening Doors to Supportive Housing - CAH Research Workshop Proceedings (March 22, 2005)

Useful Fact Sheets

Community Fact Sheet - Core Need Households in HRM