Habitability
Do people with disabilities have homes that are big enough to meet their needs? Are their homes in good condition? Are they free of bugs and mould?
Housing is habitable if it is big enough and in good condition. That means housing that is properly maintained, and that is free of health risks like bugs and mould.
- Goal: People with disabilities can access housing that is big enough and in good condition.
- International law sources:
- United Nations General Comment on the Right to Adequate Housing
Outcome indicators
- Percentage of people with disabilities who aren’t satisfied with the amount of space in their homes
- Description: This looks at households that feel they don't have enough bedrooms and overall space in their homes.
- Results: People with disabilities are less satisfied with the amount of space in their homes. In 2021, 26% of people with disabilities weren’t satisfied with the space in their homes. This is compared to 20% of people without disabilities.
- Data source: Canadian Housing Survey (2021): Dwelling Satisfaction
- Percentage of people with disabilities living in overcrowded homes
- Description: This looks at people who have overcrowded (unsuitable) homes. Homes are overcrowded if they don’t have enough bedrooms for the size and composition of the households. This is based on the National Occupancy Standard.
- Results: People with disabilities are less likely to live in overcrowded homes.
- In 2017, 10% of renters with disabilities lived in overcrowded homes. This is compared to 17% of renters without disabilities.
- Data source: Canadian Survey on Disability (2017): Housing Suitability
- In 2019, 11% of renters with disabilities lived in overcrowded homes. This is compared to 17% for renters without disabilities.
- Data source: Canadian Income Survey (2019): Housing Suitability
- Note: The Canadian Income Survey (CIS) and the Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD) choose their respondents in different ways. Data from these surveys therefore shouldn’t be compared.
- In 2022, 10% of renters with disabilities lived in overcrowded homes. This is compared to 19% of renters without disabilities.
- Data source: Canadian Survey on Disability (2022): Housing Suitability
- Some Indigenous people with disabilities live in overcrowded homes. In 2017, 24% of Indigenous people with disabilities weren’t satisfied with their homes because of overcrowding. This is compared to 29% for Indigenous people without disabilities.
- Data source: Indigenous Peoples Survey (2017): Housing. This used to be called the Aboriginal Peoples Survey.
- In 2017, 10% of renters with disabilities lived in overcrowded homes. This is compared to 17% of renters without disabilities.
- Percentage of people with disabilities who had issues with mould or mildew at home
- Description: This looks at households that had a lot of mould or mildew in their homes in the past twelve (12) months.
- Results: People with disabilities are more likely to have issues with mould or mildew at home.
- In 2021, 1% of people with disabilities had issues with mould or mildew. This is compared to 0.2% of people without disabilities.
- Data source: Canadian Housing Survey (2021): Dwelling Issues
- In 2017, 15% of Indigenous people with disabilities had issues with mould or mildew. This is compared to 14% of Indigenous people without disabilities.
- Data source: Indigenous Peoples Survey (2017): Housing. This used to be called the Aboriginal Peoples Survey.
- In 2021, 1% of people with disabilities had issues with mould or mildew. This is compared to 0.2% of people without disabilities.
- Percentage of people with disabilities who had pest infestations in their homes
- Description: This looks at households that had pest infestations in the past twelve (12) months. For example, this includes pests like bugs and mice.
- Results: People with disabilities are more likely to have pest infestations at home than people without disabilities.
- In 2021, 18% of people with disabilities had pest infestations. This is compared to 11% of people without disabilities.
- Data source: Canadian Housing Survey (2021): Dwelling Issues
- In 2017, 16% of Indigenous people with disabilities had pest infestations. This is compared to 7% of Indigenous people without disabilities.
- Data source: Indigenous Peoples Survey (2017): Housing. This used to be called the Aboriginal Peoples Survey.
- In 2021, 18% of people with disabilities had pest infestations. This is compared to 11% of people without disabilities.
- Percentage of people with disabilities whose homes need minor repairs
- Description: This looks at households whose homes have loose or missing tiles, bricks, shingles, steps, railings or siding.
- Results: People with disabilities are more likely to live in homes that need minor repairs than people without disabilities.
- In 2021, 28% of people with disabilities lived in homes that needed minor repairs. This is compared to 20% of people without disabilities.
- Data source: Canadian Housing Survey (2021): Dwelling characteristics and tenure
- The Canadian Survey on Disability (2017 and 2022) also had data on this issue, but we don’t have access to this data.
- In 2017, 31% of Indigenous people with disabilities lived in homes that needed minor repairs. This is compared to 26% of Indigenous people without disabilities.
- Data source: Indigenous Peoples Survey (2017): Housing. This used to be called the Aboriginal Peoples Survey.
- In 2021, 28% of people with disabilities lived in homes that needed minor repairs. This is compared to 20% of people without disabilities.
- Percentage of people with disabilities whose homes need major repairs
- Description: This looks at households whose homes have plumbing that doesn’t work, electric wiring issues or structural issues.
- Results: People with disabilities are more likely to live in homes that need major repairs than people without disabilities.
- In 2017, 10% of people with disabilities lived in homes that needed major repairs. This is compared to 5% of people without disabilities.
- Data source: Canadian Survey on Disability (2017)
- In 2021, 11% of people with disabilities lived in homes that needed major repairs. This is compared to 5% of people without disabilities.
- Data source: Canadian Housing Survey (2021): Dwelling characteristics and tenure
- In 2022, 9% of people with disabilities lived in homes that needed major repairs. This is compared to 5% of people without disabilities.
- Data source: Canadian Survey on Disability (2022)
- Indigenous people with disabilities are also more likely to live in homes that need major repairs than Indigenous people without disabilities. In 2017, 15% of Indigenous people with disabilities lived in homes that needed major repairs. This is compared to 8% of Indigenous people without disabilities.
- Data source: Indigenous Peoples Survey (2017): Housing. This used to be called the Aboriginal Peoples Survey.
- In 2017, 10% of people with disabilities lived in homes that needed major repairs. This is compared to 5% of people without disabilities.
- Percentage of renters with disabilities who paid for house repairs and pest control
- Description: This looks at renters who had to pay for housing repairs and pest control themselves. Landlords must ensure their rental properties meet health and safety standards. Landlords are therefore usually responsible for paying for repairs and pest control.
- Results: Not available. This data is not currently collected through national or provincial / territorial surveys. We are advocating for better data collection and transparency in this area.
Policy effort and resource indicators
In development