Statistics Canada rent data are a better indication of what tenants will experience when searching for housing than CMHC average rents. CMHC average rents include all apartments whether they are available for rent or not and exclude apartments in buildings with fewer than three units. CMHC average rents also only include utilities if they are included in the actual rent and can therefore greatly underestimate actual housing costs in areas were utility costs are high and tend not to be included in rent, such as many rural communities. CMHC data does, however, provide a reasonable estimate of increases in rent since the last Census. If we calculate a rough estimate of rent increases to October 1999, the situation for households receiving social assistance becomes dramatically worse.
Rent increases have an exaggerated impact on non-shelter income.
This is especially true for families with children where one or two parents are employed in low-paying jobs. Minimum wage is the same whether you are single or have a family to support. In all likelihood, the numbers described above actually under-estimate the severity of the affordability problems facing low income households, both employed and in receipt of public assistance, in Ontario. These households usually have to pay more than average or median rents. When searching for housing, low income families face a range of discriminatory and systemic barriers which keep them from renting the most affordable apartments they can find.