Independent Social and Affordable Housing Inventory

Independent social and affordable housing units are an important part of the rental housing stock in Metro Vancouver. They provide rental housing that is affordable for households in core housing need, including low- and moderate-income individuals and families. Some independent social housing is tailored for seniors, Indigenous people, or people with disabilities.

These units are funded by federal, provincial, or municipal government programs, and include both public housing and non-profit housing that is owned or operated by a government or non-profit organization. Independent social housing does not include shelter beds, transitional housing, assisted living and supportive housing, or rent supplements for the private rental market. It is composed of units that are self-contained, meaning that they have their own bathroom, kitchen, and private entrance.

Independent social housing providers include BC Housing, municipal housing corporations, and non-profit housing providers. This housing usually includes a mix of housing that is offered at rent-geared-to-income (RGI) rates and low-end-of-market rental housing.

Social and Affordable Housing Survey — rental structures

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) started collecting characteristics about Social and Affordable Housing Structures as part of the Housing Needs Data Initiative under the National Housing Strategy. This is done through the survey of Social and Affordable Housing — Rental Structures (SAHS-RS). The goal of the survey is to develop data and indicators to understand progress toward improved housing outcomes.

The first Social and Affordable Housing Survey — Rental Structures survey result was published in 2019. Information collected includes number of units, information on both ownership and administrative body, vacancy rates, average rents, funding sources, rent determination mechanism, and building age, condition and repair needs. This annual survey provides essential data on the features and conditions of social and affordable rental housing across Canada, helping to inform housing policies and programs. Since 2023, some survey results are also available by municipal level geography in addition to national, provincial, and regional data.

Independent social and affordable housing units by bedroom count

Average rent of independent social and affordable housing units

Independent social and affordable housing units by ownership type

Key observations

From 2023 to 2024, the number of independent social and affordable housing units slightly decreased from 596,741 to 592,983 (-0.6%, -3,758 units)) Canada wide. British Columbia has the highest number of unit growth of 4,913 units (+7.7%), followed by Manitoba with growth of 4,183 units (+19.5%) and Quebec with growth of 2,671 units (+5%).
In Metro Vancouver, the total number of independent social and affordable housing units decreased from 36,278 in 2023 to 35,863 in 2024 (-1.1%, -415 units). Despite the decrease, Metro Vancouver accounts for over half (53%) of British Columbia’s social and affordable housing stock.
The distribution of independent social and affordable housing units by bedroom count varied across the region, but there is a general pattern of growth in the number of smaller units (studio or 1 bedroom) and decline in the number of larger units (2 or more bedrooms). From 2023 to 2024, the number of smaller units increased by 13.6% (+2,812 units) and the number of larger units decreased by 20.7% (-3,226 units).
In 2024, the average rent for independent social and affordable housing in Metro Vancouver was $574 for a studio unit, $791 for 1 bedroom unit, $968 for 2 bedroom unit, and $1,167 for a 3+ bedroom unit.

Social and affordable housing inventory

CMHC uses the coefficient of variation, sampling fraction and universe size to determine the ability to publish proportions. The following letter codes are used to indicate the level of reliability of proportions: a — Excellent; b — Very good; c — Good; d — Poor (Use with caution); e — Very Poor (Use with extreme caution)

Notes

The glossary provides definitions of each technical term, ensuring consistent interpretation.
Jurisdiction and Metro Vancouver totals may not equal the sum of individual values due to rounding, data suppression, or the omission of smaller data points to maintain visual readability. If a geography is not listed or appears missing, the associated data was either unavailable or did not meet reporting thresholds.
CMHC does not publish a statistic if its reliability is too low or if the publication of a statistic would violate confidentiality rules. The ability to publish an estimate is determined by its statistical reliability.

Source
This information is from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) Social and Affordable Housing Survey and Methodology for Social and Affordable Housing Survey – Rental Structures.

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