If I said to you that thousands of deeply affordable homes could become available in Ontario through policy change, you might wonder if my head had come away from my body. All of the common practices add hundreds of homes that over time might grow to thousands. But thousands all at once? What is this mysterious policy?
Welfare reform.
Tweaking the rules surrounding benefits for couples who receive social assistance would remove a financial barrier that deters single people from moving in with a partner.
The ‘magic’ formula that could create thousands of new homes out of what is effectively nothing? When two singles move together, one home empties. That home suddenly becomes available for someone else.
The case for modifying the social assistance regulation is advanced in the report Decoupled. The author, John Stapleton, has a deep knowledge of social assistance rules1, and is well positioned to make the case. He estimates that more than 9,000 homes would come available if couples (whether married or unmarried) were not penalized for living together as they are now. And the added cost to the social assistance budget is far, far less than the amount required to build new homes.
Decoupled is about the social assistance rules in Ontario, but it suggests a line of thought for readers in other jurisdictions. Decoupled tells us that housing supply is affected by more than housing policies.
You can read more about this novel way to add deeply affordable housing in Open Policy Ontario: Decoupled! How Welfare Programs Force Couples To Live Apart
Footnotes
- Mr. Stapleton is a social policy analyst specializing in income security programs. His firm Open Policy Ontario, publishes regularly.
