About 100 attendees from diverse backgrounds gathered on November 7 at Espace Canal for a conference organized by CIRANO in collaboration with the Ivanhoé-Cambridge Urban and Real Estate Development Observatory, the research group on Economic Development and Territorial Inequalities and CMHC.

The discussions drew on recent data to shed light on the housing crisis in Quebec, addressing the challenges of homeownership, scarcity of housing, rising rents and core housing needs.

Several points of reflection emerged from the conference:

• The fields of study on housing are very diverse, but some remain in a blind spot. The link between housing and health, for example, deserves more attention.

• Among the multitude of housing data, the most interesting often remain in the private domain or are expensive to acquire. Quebec needs to do more to share its data with the rest of Canada and make it available for research purpose.

• Many quantitative studies exist on barriers to housing production and factors affecting prices at both the local and provincial levels.

• However, qualitative analyses are essential to better understand the limitations of programs and regulations that aim to promote access to housing and protect vulnerable populations.

• There is a need for more places for exchange that foster partnerships between research and decision-makers in government and in the community. Policy-makers want the research community to be more open to experiential knowledge.

The discussions offered panelists and participants insights into potential solutions to mitigate Quebec’s housing crisis and better meet the population’s needs.