Book Description

This is the book that Canadians must read to understand, and solve, our housing crisis. Hundreds of thousands of Canadians exist on the edge. Renters fear eviction, homeowners feel trapped, and both are vulnerable to becoming homeless with a single stroke of misfortune.

Unaffordable housing in Canada is tearing communities apart. Rising prices force long-time residents to move elsewhere, while established businesses are forced to close their doors because they cannot find staff who can afford to live nearby.

In Home Truths, housing expert Carolyn Whitzman explores Canada’s crisis from all sides, including defining what adequate housing looks like, explaining why nonmarket housing is crucial for Canada, and outlining how and why to tackle ever-growing wealth disparities between renters and those who own. She details the decades of policy that got us into this mess and shows how all levels of government can work together to provide affordable housing where it is needed, using evidence-backed ideas from planners, politicians, developers, and advocates at home and abroad.

About the Author

Carolyn Whitzman is a leading housing and senior policy researcher. She helped develop the Housing Assessment Resource Tools (HART) project based at the University of British Columbia. She has authored, coauthored, or lead-edited six previous books, the most recent being Clara at the Door with a Revolver. She has undertaken research for the Office of the Federal Housing Advocate, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa, and many other organizations. She lives in Ottawa.