The Urgent Need for Accessible Housing in Canada: A Crisis Within a Crisis
Five-year-old Beau O’Hagan, a resident of Beamsville, Ontario, begins each day with a routine familiar to many families with disabled children: being carried from his bed to his wheelchair. Diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) at 17 months, Beau navigates a world designed for the able-bodied, facing daily barriers within his own home. Narrow doorways necessitate being carried from room to room, preventing independent access to basic necessities like the bathroom sink and light switches. His parents, Rachel and Bryce, foresee these challenges intensifying as Beau grows older and heavier. Beau’s story underscores a critical issue within Canada’s housing crisis: the severe shortage of accessible housing. While policymakers and developers scramble to address the overall housing shortage, the needs of people with disabilities often remain overlooked. The O’Hagans’ plea for accessible housing echoes the experiences of countless Canadians with disabilities, highlighting the urgent need for inclusivity in housing design and construction.
Tracy Odell, a 66-year-old Toronto resident, shares a similar story, having lived with SMA since birth. Growing up, she attended a specialized institution, but upon turning 18, faced the harsh reality of limited accessible housing options. Decades later, Odell laments the lack of progress, describing the current situation as “deplorable.” Her experience reflects a systemic failure to prioritize accessibility, leaving many individuals with disabilities struggling to find suitable housing. The scarcity of accessible housing exacerbates the already challenging housing market, creating a crisis within a crisis for those with disabilities. Jutta Treviranus, director of the Inclusive Design Research Centre at OCAD University, emphasizes the urgency of this issue, noting the disproportionate impact of the housing crisis on individuals requiring accessible homes. The lack of accessible housing reflects a broader societal issue: the exclusion of disability perspectives in decision-making processes.
Treviranus stresses the importance of adaptable and flexible housing design, rejecting the notion of a one-size-fits-all approach. She advocates for a paradigm shift towards inclusive design principles that cater to a diverse range of needs. Echoing this call to action, Marie-Josée Houle, the federal housing advocate, urged the government to prioritize accessibility in its National Housing Strategy, advocating for minimum "visitability" standards in all new government-funded housing units. These standards encompass features like level entrances, wider doorways and hallways, and accessible washrooms on the entry level. Implementing such standards is a crucial step toward ensuring that housing is designed with inclusivity in mind.
Stephanie Cadieux, Canada’s chief accessibility officer, acknowledges the nation’s lag behind other countries in providing accessible housing. She emphasizes the need for policy changes to mandate adaptable homes that cater to changing needs, highlighting the long-term economic benefits of incorporating accessibility from the outset. Cadieux underscores the significant opportunity presented by the federal government’s target of 3.87 million new homes by 2031, urging for immediate action to integrate accessibility into new construction. Her call to action resonates with studies by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC) demonstrating the significantly higher costs of retrofitting existing homes for accessibility compared to incorporating these features during construction.
A 2019 CMHC study revealed the stark cost difference, with retrofitting costing 185 to 779 percent more than building accessible features into new homes. An earlier CMHC report further highlighted the minimal added cost of constructing accessible and adaptable homes – just six to 12 percent compared to standard construction. These findings underscore the economic prudence of prioritizing accessibility from the start. The Daniels Corp., a developer in the Greater Toronto Area, has embraced this principle through its Accessibility Designed Program, offering accessible units at no extra cost. These units feature roll-in showers, roll-out balconies, and accessible common areas, demonstrating the feasibility of incorporating these features without significant added expense.
Despite these positive initiatives, Kate Chung, co-founder of the Accessible Housing Network, expresses concern about the continued marginalization of people with disabilities in housing policy. However, she sees the current focus on boosting housing supply as a potential turning point. The federal government’s Housing Design Catalogue program, relaunched in 2024, offers an opportunity to incorporate universal design principles into standardized housing designs. Stakeholder feedback has emphasized the importance of accessibility in these designs, reflecting a growing awareness of the need for inclusive housing. Chung advocates for the widespread adoption of universal design principles, ensuring that all new housing caters to individuals of all ages and abilities, regardless of changing circumstances or the onset of disabilities. Odell’s current housing situation, while not perfect, highlights the compromises many individuals with disabilities are forced to make. While her Toronto bungalow does have some accessible features, it also lacks others, restricting her full participation in daily life. Her story underscores the urgent need for systemic change to ensure that accessible housing is not a privilege but a fundamental right for all Canadians.
