Facts and Figures
Across Canada, over 2,200 non-profit housing co‑ops are home to about a quarter of a million people in over 90,000 households. There are housing co‑operatives in every province and territory.
Canada’s housing co-ops by the numbers
| Region | Number of Co-ops |
Number of Units |
|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | 275 | 15,784 |
| Prairies | 129 | 6,739 |
| Ontario | 551 | 44,181 |
| Quebec | 1,130 | 22,501 |
| Atlantic Provinces | 122 | 3,164 |
| Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut | 5 | 162 |
| TOTAL | 2,212 | 92,526 |
Housing co‑ops cost less to operate – about 14% less than municipal or private non-profit housing, according to a Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) study of co‑op housing programs published in 2003.
About a third of all co‑op households pay a monthly charge geared to their income. Government funds cover the difference between this payment and the co‑op’s full charge.
Diverse communities - housing co-op demographics in Canada
Here are some statistics from research conducted by CMHC in 2003:
- 58% of co-op members are women
- 50% of co‑op households are female single-person or female single-parent households
- 11% are members of visible minorities
- 20% are immigrants
- 4% are of aboriginal ancestry
- 12% of households include a person with a long-term physical disability
