Understanding the Housing Gap: Why Data-Driven Planning Matters
Canada, like many countries, is facing a housing crisis — but the root of the problem isn’t always what it seems. Prices are rising. Supply is constrained. But beneath the headlines lies a deeper issue: we’re not just short on housing. We’re short on the right housing, in the right places, for the right people.
That’s where Housing Needs Assessments (HNAs) come in. They offer local governments and developers a clearer picture of what’s missing — and how to fill the gap.
Let’s explore why understanding housing needs is critical for creating equitable, affordable, and sustainable communities — and how platforms like UrbanRe are helping unlock that understanding through powerful data insights.
🔍 The Housing Gap: What It Really Means
Housing gaps aren’t just about volume — they’re about mismatch. Common housing gaps include:
• Too many large homes, not enough smaller units for seniors or singles
• Lack of accessible housing for people with disabilities
• Insufficient rental options in high-demand areas
• Missing middle housing, like duplexes and townhomes
• Limited culturally appropriate housing for Indigenous, racialized, or newcomer communities
Without the right data, municipalities end up with supply that doesn’t meet demand — leading to overcrowding, displacement, and unaffordability.
UrbanRe’s platform helps pinpoint these mismatches by transforming raw housing and demographic data into actionable insights. Planners can visualize the exact gaps and plan accordingly.
🧠 What Is a Housing Needs Assessment?
A Housing Needs Assessment is a structured process that identifies:
• Current and projected population trends
• Demographics (age, household type, income levels)
• Existing housing stock and conditions
• Affordability gaps by income group
• Future housing demand by type and tenure (rental, ownership)
HNAs typically combine:
• Quantitative data (census, CMHC, property data)
• Community engagement (surveys, interviews, focus groups)
• Policy analysis (zoning, land use, affordability programs)
The result is a report that answers a key question:
🧭 What types of housing should we be planning for — and for whom?
UrbanRe enhances this process by integrating leading-edge analytics with local policy context, enabling smarter prioritization and clearer recommendations.
📈 Why Data-Driven Housing Planning Matters
Without good data, decisions rely on assumptions. But with a strong HNA, municipalities and housing providers can:
✅ Target funding to the most urgent needs
✅ Support applications for federal/provincial housing programs
✅ Align zoning and land use policies with demand
✅ Plan infrastructure around projected growth
✅ Engage communities with evidence-backed strategies
It also helps reduce the risk of:
• Overbuilding in the wrong locations
• Leaving vulnerable populations behind
• Ignoring the housing needs of future generations
UrbanRe empowers communities to move from static reports to dynamic planning — using data dashboards and spatial intelligence to align actions with demand in real time.
🌍 Equity at the Core
A robust HNA doesn’t just count units — it centers people.
That means disaggregating data by:
• Income levels and poverty rates
• Race, ethnicity, and immigration status
• Disability and mobility needs
• Gender and household structure
Housing equity means understanding who is most impacted by housing insecurity — and making sure solutions meet their needs first.
UrbanRe supports equity-focused planning by uncovering disparities in access and need, ensuring communities can build housing that truly serves everyone.
📌 A Local Example: Bridging the Housing Mismatch
One small Ontario municipality conducted an HNA and discovered:
• 60% of new builds were single-detached homes
• But 45% of residents were seniors living alone or with one other person
• And over 30% of renters were spending more than half their income on rent
The HNA led to zoning changes that:
• Encouraged more secondary suites and low-rise apartments
• Allocated funding for supportive housing
• Expanded incentives for affordable infill development
In less than 2 years, over 100 new units were built that better matched the local population's needs. UrbanRe’s tools could further enhance these efforts — by identifying infill potential, tracking affordability trends, and simulating long-term impact of policy changes.
🛠️ What Makes a Good HNA?
Whether you're in a large city or small town, strong Housing Needs Assessments typically:
• Use up-to-date, reliable data
• Include voices from lived experience (e.g. tenants, newcomers, youth)
• Identify short-, medium-, and long-term trends
• Produce clear, actionable recommendations
• Are publicly accessible and visually engaging
UrbanRe helps municipalities go beyond traditional needs reporting to consider scenario planning and cross-sector insights that bring the HNA to life.
🏁 Final Thoughts: From Problem to Plan
You can’t fix what you can’t measure. And in housing, measuring starts with asking the right questions — not just about how much we need, but what kind of housing, for whom, and when. A data-driven Housing Needs Assessment turns housing from a crisis into a roadmap — helping communities act with clarity, confidence, and compassion.
With UrbanRe, that roadmap becomes even more powerful — helping local governments and housing stakeholders overcome barriers, bridge gaps, and design housing systems built for the future.