Ontario Construction News staff writer
The largest public housing providers in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area have formed a new regional alliance aimed at strengthening housing renewal efforts and advocating for increased investment in the sector.
The GTHA Community Housing Collaborative brings together six major providers — CityHousing Hamilton, Housing Durham, Halton Community Housing Corporation, Housing York Inc., Peel Housing Corporation and Toronto Community Housing — which collectively serve more than 150,000 residents across more than 600 communities.
The group says it was established to better align efforts on housing renewal, funding for new supply and long-term system sustainability. It also aims to position public housing as essential infrastructure linked to economic productivity and community stability.
As its first joint initiative, the Collaborative has commissioned a region-wide study examining the economic and social value of public housing investment. The research is being conducted by the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis using its ONEMODEL simulation platform.
Developed over more than a decade under the direction of Paul Smetanin, the model integrates hundreds of data points to simulate how individuals and communities respond to policy and investment changes. The goal is to capture broader economic and social impacts of public housing investment that traditional models may not fully reflect.
The study will draw on data from across the six housing portfolios and is expected to produce what the Collaborative describes as the first empirically grounded, region-wide analysis of its kind.
Financial support for the initiative is being provided by Scotiabank through its ScotiaRISE program, a $500-million commitment focused on improving economic resilience for disadvantaged groups.
Meigan Terry, the bank’s executive vice-president and chief corporate and public affairs officer, said the research is intended to generate insights into how financing approaches can support housing growth and broader economic outcomes.
“Through ScotiaRISE, we are proud to support the GTHA Community Housing Collaborative to advance data-driven research and improve outcomes for disadvantaged groups,” she said. “The results of the Collaborative will provide meaningful insights into the role that innovative financing can play in growing the housing sector and strengthening economic growth and resilience.”
Sean Baird, president and CEO of Toronto Community Housing, said the collaboration reflects a shared view that public housing plays a foundational role in the region’s economy.
“Public housing in the GTHA is valuable and productive infrastructure,” he said. “If we treat public housing like infrastructure that generates economic prosperity and more resilient communities, we can unlock benefits that ripple into every corner of society.”
Adam Sweedland, president and CEO of CityHousing Hamilton, said the initiative will help demonstrate the broader value of affordable housing.
“By working together and grounding our decisions in rigorous, evidence-based research, we have an opportunity to demonstrate that public housing is not just a social good, but as an essential part of the economy that benefits everyone,” he said.
Findings from the study are expected to be released in June 2026.
