The difference stable housing makes
When people spend more than half of their paycheque on housing, they become vulnerable
They can’t keep up with other essentials — food, transportation, or childcare. A missed rent payment can quickly spiral into instability: couch surfing, temporary basement rentals, or being forced out of the communities they love. That instability breeds further instability.
Young people are particularly vulnerable to these pressures. Housing loss can trigger cascading impacts, including increased exposure to violence, substance use, mental health challenges, and exploitation.
55% of Canadians are concerned about the possibility of losing their home or rental unit if their financial situation were to suddenly change.
The cost of inaction is steep
Emergency shelter use averages $35,000 per person per year.
Healthcare costs for unhoused individuals are 6-7 times higher.
Every $1 invested in prevention saves $2 to $6 in emergency system costs.
Proven solutions exist across Canada
-
Kehilla Affordable Housing
Strengthening Stability in Toronto’s Jewish Community
Kehilla works to ensure low- and moderate-income Jewish individuals, seniors, families, people with disabilities, Holocaust survivors and newcomers can access safe, affordable housing within their community. But as rents continue to be out of reach for many in the city, even households with stable incomes are finding it harder to keep up.
"Partnering with Partners for Affordable Housing will help us broaden the Rental Assitance Program's reach. Through this collaboration, we hope to access wider networks of philanthropic investment and connect more easily with funders and sector partners who share our commitment to affordable housing."
-
Homes For Heroes
New developments in Winnipeg and London
Homes For Heroes delivers a veteran-specific housing model that combines deeply affordable homes with wraparound supports addressing mental health, physical health, income stability and community reintegration. Their villages—currently operating in Calgary, Edmonton and Kingston, with new developments underway in Winnipeg and London—demonstrate that housing designed around veterans’ needs can produce meaningful, lasting outcomes.
"Partners for Affordable Housing strengthens connections across the housing sector and increases awareness of what is already working for veterans. This coordination is essential if we’re serious about ending veteran homelessness."
-
Great Expectations
Canmore, Alberta
The Great Expectations Collaborative Campaign is providing coordinated, large-scale fundraising for projects beginning on the Palliser lands and the Moustache lands in Canmore, Alberta. Partners for Affordable Housing is expanding access to larger-scale philanthropic, private and public funding that affordable housing providers, Canmore Community Housing and the YWCA Banff, could not secure alone.
"We need 1,200 homes, already. This project is not just a necessity—it’s a lifeline for Canmore’s future."
-
Caroline Co-operative
Hamilton, Ontario
For the Caroline Co-operative in Hamilton, Ontario, crucial Last Mile funding from two philanthropic foundations saved the day when their mission to buy their building encountered a deal-breaking final cost. Partners for Affordable Housing made the requisite introductions so the tenants could fill a small equity gap and close on their purchase, allowing them to preserve 21 affordable units forever.
"We were so close. But if we could not get the money to cover the closing costs, the whole project was in jeopardy."
Progress worth sharing
The 2025 Community Impact Report highlights Partners for Affordable Housing’s progress since launching in 2023 – from early-stage investments to growing fundraising momentum across Alberta and Ontario.
Subscribe:
Stay in the know with our newsletter