Housing Statistics in Canada
A first look at shelter costs for households living on reserve using new data from the 2021 Census
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- New housing data from the 2021 Census provide shelter cost information for the 373,920 people living on reserve, many of whom were First Nations people.
- On reserve, five in six households (83.8%) reported shelter costs, paying an average of $584 per month.
- Less than one-tenth of households living on reserve (8.4%) spent 30% or more of their income on shelter costs.
- Overall, 43.9% of households on reserve (52,230 out of 118,920) lived in dwellings that were crowded, needed major repairs, or cost 30% or more of their income.
- Nationally, 470,680 First Nations people (45.0%)—including those on and off reserve—were living in dwellings that were crowded, needed major repairs, or cost 30% or more of their income.
Introduction
Housing is an important topic for First Nations people and others living on reserve. Research using census data has shown that households living on reserve are at greater risk of higher levels of crowding or living in dwellings in need of major repairs.Note Note Data collected as part of the 2021 Census show that these housing issues persist.Note
New data on shelter costs on reserve are available from the 2021 Census. For past censuses, housing affordability could not be measured on reserve because information on shelter costs was not collected for all households. New questions added to the 2021 Census questionnaire fill this data gap, making it possible to measure shelter costs on reserve.
This report examines the shelter costs of households living on reserve using the new data from the 2021 Census. It describes the 2021 Census definition of shelter costs on reserve and describes important considerations when using these data to measure housing affordability. It presents the first census statistics on shelter costs on reserve, including the number of households facing housing challenges because of shelter costs, in addition to crowding and the need for repairs.
Background
Before the 2021 Census, information on shelter costs was collected only when housing was owned or rented. On reserve, more than half (57.6%) of households neither owned nor rented their dwelling in 2021. For these households, the dwelling was provided by the local government, First Nation or Indian band.Note The census includes this category because, for historical and statutory reasons, shelter occupancy on reserves or settlements does not always lend itself to classification under the tenure categories that are standard in the rest of the country.
In recent census consultations, there were growing reports of households making housing payments for dwellings provided by the local government, First Nation or Indian band. Stakeholders and data users identified this data gap. After further consultation and questionnaire testing, a new question was added to the 2021 Census to capture monthly payments for the use or occupancy of these dwellings.
In the 2021 Census, shelter costs for households living in dwellings provided by the local government, First Nation or Indian band include payments for electricity, heat, water and other municipal services, along with regular monthly payments made for the use or occupancy of the dwelling. For owner and renter households living on reserve, shelter costs include the same components as those of off-reserve owner and renter households.Note
Shelter costs for the 373,920 people on reserve, most of whom are First Nations people, are available in the 2021 Census
For the 2021 Census, information about shelter costs was collected for all forms of housing tenure found on reserve. Of the 118,920 households living on reserve in Canada, 68,545 (57.6%) lived in dwellings provided by the local government, First Nation or Indian band. The remaining households living on reserve lived in owner-occupied (33.0%) and rented (9.4%) dwellings.
| Households | ||
|---|---|---|
| count | percent | |
| TotalTable 1 Note 1 | 118,920 | 100.0 |
| Dwelling provided by the local government, First Nation or Indian band | 68,545 | 57.6 |
| Owner | 39,250 | 33.0 |
| Renter | 11,125 | 9.4 |
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The census now has the data to measure how much the 373,920 people enumerated on reserve paid in shelter costs.Note First Nations people account for most people on reserve (313,160 people, or 83.8%). Of the 241,980 people living on reserve in dwellings provided by the local government, First Nation or Indian band, 229,685 (94.9%) were First Nations people.
| Total, populationTable 2 Note 2 | First Nations people with Registered or Treaty Indian status | First Nations people without Registered or Treaty Indian status | Non-Indigenous people | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| count | percent | count | percent | count | percent | count | percent | |
| TotalTable 2 Note 1 | 373,920 | 100.0 | 305,900 | 81.8 | 7,260 | 1.9 | 55,760 | 14.9 |
| Dwelling provided by the local government, First Nation or Indian band | 241,980 | 100.0 | 225,140 | 93.0 | 4,545 | 1.9 | 9,695 | 4.0 |
| Owner | 100,200 | 100.0 | 59,785 | 59.7 | 1,800 | 1.8 | 36,815 | 36.7 |
| Renter | 31,735 | 100.0 | 20,980 | 66.1 | 920 | 2.9 | 9,255 | 29.2 |
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On reserve, five in six households (83.8%) reported shelter costs, paying an average of $584 per month
On reserve, five in six households (83.8%) reported shelter costs for their dwelling. Among households living in dwellings provided by the local government, First Nation or Indian band, about three-quarters (75.6%) reported shelter costs.
The average shelter cost for households on reserve that reported an amount was $584 per month. Among households living in dwellings provided by the local government, First Nation or Indian band that reported an amount, the average shelter cost was $432 per month. When all households on reserve are taken into account (that is, including those with no shelter costs), the monthly average was $489 for households regardless of tenure and $326 for households living in dwellings provided by the local government, First Nation or Indian band.
Shelter costs on reserve were different from those off reserve. Dwellings provided by the local government, First Nation or Indian band—which are unique to reserves and represent over half of dwellings on reserve—were less likely to have shelter costs, and the average monthly shelter cost ($326) was lower than that of owner-occupied ($647) and renter-occupied ($934) dwellings on reserve.
Owner households on reserve ($647) had an average shelter cost that was less than half that of owner households off reserve ($1,498). A reason for this difference was that 31.2% of owner households on reserve had a mortgage, compared with 60.0% of owner households off reserve. While being mortgage-free typically means lower shelter costs, if it stems from challenges in accessing mortgage financing, then it might represent negative effects from limited access to homeownership or an inability to unlock home equity for other purposes. Another reason for this difference could be the dwelling was actually provided by the local government, First Nation or Indian band, but the household reported the dwelling was owner-occupied. This might occur if the terms under which the dwelling was provided led the household to believe they owned the dwellings, such as in the case of a multi-year lease.
Renter households on reserve had the highest average shelter cost compared with other housing tenure types on reserve. Nevertheless, the average renter shelter cost on reserve ($934) was lower than that off reserve ($1,209). Many factors contribute to this difference, including location, the size of the dwelling, the type of dwelling, rent subsidies and the condition of the dwelling. For example, renter households on reserve were more likely to have subsidized rent (19.0%) compared with renter households off reserve (11.7%). Moreover, reserves are often in remote locations, while off-reserve housing is primarily in metropolitan areas.
| All households | Households with shelter costs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| count | average (dollars/month) | count | average (dollars/month) | ||
| CanadaTable 3 Note 1 | 14,864,075 | 1,394 | 14,777,180 | 1,402 | |
| On reserve | Total—households | 118,920 | 489 | 99,650 | 584 |
| Dwelling provided by the local government, First Nation or Indian band | 68,545 | 326 | 51,850 | 432 | |
| Owner | 39,250 | 647 | 37,580 | 676 | |
| Renter | 11,130 | 934 | 10,225 | 1,017 | |
| Off reserve | Total—householdsTable 3 Note 2 | 14,745,155 | 1,402 | 14,677,530 | 1,408 |
| Owner | 9,807,720 | 1,498 | 9,805,465 | 1,498 | |
| Renter | 4,936,850 | 1,209 | 4,871,550 | 1,225 | |
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Less than one-tenth of households living on reserve (8.4%) spent 30% or more of their income on shelter costs
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation assesses whether a household has unaffordable shelter costs by applying a threshold of 30% to the shelter-cost-to-income ratio. This threshold of 30%, above which housing is considered unaffordable, was developed in 1986 in collaboration with the provinces for the purposes of defining social housing need.
There are several reasons why a threshold of 30% may not always be good for defining housing affordability. Some of these reasons can be found more often on reserve, but they can also be found off reserve, where the threshold is nevertheless applied. For example, on reserve, as well as in other remote areas, where costs of other necessities may be higher, households may experience financial hardship even if less than 30% of their income is going towards shelter costs.
While there is no consensus that a threshold of 30% is appropriate for measuring housing affordability on reserve, consistently applying the shelter-cost-to-income concept allows for comparisons across groups and regions while providing reference points to measure changes over time.
Less than one-tenth of households living on reserve (8.4%) spent 30% or more of their income on shelter costs.Note Households living in dwellings provided by the local government, First Nation or Indian band were the least likely (5.9%) to spend 30% or more of their income on shelter costs, compared with other forms of housing tenure on reserve.
Nearly one-quarter (24.6%) of renter households on reserve spent 30% or more of their income on shelter costs. This was almost as high as the rate for renters off reserve (33.2%).
Overall, housing affordability was a challenge for some households on reserve, but it was less prevalent on reserve than off reserve. This observation is further supported by the fact that more than three-quarters (77.8%) of households on reserve spent less than 15% of their income on shelter costs. This compares with 41.7% of households off reserve.
| Total, households | Spending less than 30% of income on shelter costs | Spending less than 15% of income on shelter costs | Spending 15% to less than 30% of income on shelter costs | Spending 30% or more of income on shelter costs | Spending 30% to less than 50% of income on shelter costs | Spending 50% to less than 100% of income on shelter costs | Spending 100% or more of income on shelter costs | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| count | percent | ||||||||
| CanadaTable 4 Note 1 | 14,806,150 | 79.2 | 41.9 | 37.2 | 20.8 | 13.2 | 5.4 | 2.3 | |
| On reserve | Total—households | 118,220 | 91.6 | 77.8 | 13.8 | 8.4 | 4.3 | 2.1 | 2.0 |
| Dwelling provided by the local government, First Nation or Indian band | 68,060 | 94.1 | 84.5 | 9.6 | 5.9 | 2.7 | 1.5 | 1.8 | |
| Owner | 39,100 | 92.0 | 74.5 | 17.5 | 8.0 | 4.6 | 1.6 | 1.8 | |
| Renter | 11,065 | 75.3 | 49.1 | 26.3 | 24.6 | 13.5 | 7.1 | 4.1 | |
| Off reserve | Total—householdTable 4 Note 2 | 14,687,930 | 79.1 | 41.7 | 37.4 | 20.9 | 13.2 | 5.4 | 2.3 |
| Owner | 9,787,425 | 85.2 | 50.4 | 34.8 | 14.8 | 9.6 | 3.6 | 1.6 | |
| Renter | 4,899,925 | 66.8 | 24.3 | 42.6 | 33.2 | 20.5 | 9.1 | 3.6 | |
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Among the 118,920 households on reserve, 52,230 lived in dwellings that were crowded, needed major repairs, or cost 30% or more of their income
Acceptable housing, as defined in the 2021 Census, is that which is adequate in condition, suitable in size and affordable. On reserve, the census definition of acceptable housing does not consider whether the dwelling is affordable because there is no consensus on the appropriate indicator for assessing housing affordability. The new on-reserve shelter cost data from the 2021 Census show potential changes in estimates of acceptable on-reserve housing if the same affordability indicator is applied both on and off reserve.
A number of households on reserve did not live in acceptable housing because the dwelling was crowded or needed major repairs (45,055 of the 118,920 on-reserve households). Households on reserve (37.9%) were more than three times as likely as households off reserve (10.8%) to live in crowded dwellings or in dwellings needing major repairs.
Among households on reserve in dwellings that were suitable and not in need of major repairs, 7,175 households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter costs. Moreover, among the 45,055 households in crowded dwellings or dwellings in need of major repairs, 2,730 were also putting 30% or more of their income towards shelter costs.
Overall, out of all 118,920 households on reserve, 52,230 (43.9%) lived in dwellings that were crowded, needed major repairs, or cost 30% or more of their income.
Housing affordability was a smaller challenge on reserve compared with crowding and the need for major repairs. However, this was not the case for renter households on reserve. Among renter households on reserve, 24.5% spent 30% or more of their income on shelter costs, compared with the 16.6% that lived in crowded dwellings and the 16.8% that lived in dwellings requiring major repairs.
| Total, households | Spending less than 30% of income on shelter costs, or household income less than or equal to $0 | Spending more than 30% of income on shelter costs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suitable and not in need of major repairs | Unsuitable or in need of major repairs | Suitable and not in need of major repairs | Unsuitable or in need of major repairs | |||
| count | percent | |||||
| CanadaTable 5 Note 1 | 14,864,075 | 70.6 | 8.7 | 18.4 | 2.3 | |
| On reserve | Total—households | 118,920 | 56.1 | 35.6 | 6.0 | 2.3 |
| Dwelling provided by the local government, First Nation or Indian band | 68,540 | 47.9 | 46.2 | 3.5 | 2.4 | |
| Owner | 39,245 | 71.8 | 20.2 | 6.5 | 1.5 | |
| Renter | 11,125 | 50.9 | 24.6 | 19.9 | 4.6 | |
| Off reserve | Total—householdsTable 5 Note 2 | 14,745,155 | 70.7 | 8.5 | 18.5 | 2.3 |
| Owner | 9,807,720 | 78.6 | 6.6 | 13.4 | 1.4 | |
| Renter | 4,936,850 | 55.0 | 12.1 | 28.7 | 4.2 | |
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Overall, 470,680 First Nations people (45.0%) were living in dwellings that were crowded, needed major repairs, or cost 30% or more of their income
First Nations people account for the majority of people on reserve, and just under one-third (29.9%) of First Nations people lived on reserve. The new on-reserve shelter cost information from the 2021 Census provides a more complete national picture of the housing needs of First Nations people.Note
Nationally, 14.2% of First Nations people spent 30% or more of their household income on shelter. The proportion was over four times higher off reserve (18.5%) than on reserve (4.2%). As described earlier, on-reserve housing is different from off-reserve housing in many ways. For example, First Nations people on reserve (56.9%) were twice as likely as First Nations people off reserve (24.8%) to live in unsuitable dwellings or dwellings in need of major repairs.
When all three housing indicators (suitability, condition of dwelling and affordability) are included in the acceptable housing definition, 45.0% of First Nations people across Canada (470,680 out of 1,045,660 people) were living in unacceptable housing. A relatively small number of First Nations people on reserve (7,120) were living in unacceptable housing only because their household spent 30% or more of its income on shelter costs. Therefore, census housing analyses of First Nations people that do not use the new shelter cost data would still provide similar estimates of acceptable housing.
| Total, First Nations people | Spending less than 30% of household income on shelter costs, or household income less than or equal to $0 | Spending more than 30% of household income on shelter costs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suitable and not in need of major repairs | Unsuitable or in need of major repairs | Suitable and not in need of major repairs | Unsuitable or in need of major repairs | |||
| count | percent | |||||
| CanadaTable 6 Note 1 | Total—people | 1,045,660 | 55.0 | 30.8 | 10.6 | 3.6 |
| People in dwellings provided by the local government, First Nation or Indian band | 230,660 | 37.5 | 58.8 | 1.8 | 1.8 | |
| People in owner households | 431,690 | 70.6 | 19.7 | 8.0 | 1.7 | |
| People in renter households | 383,310 | 47.9 | 26.5 | 18.8 | 6.8 | |
| On reserve | Total—people | 313,165 | 40.9 | 55.0 | 2.3 | 1.9 |
| People in dwellings provided by the local government, First Nation or Indian band | 229,685 | 37.5 | 58.9 | 1.8 | 1.8 | |
| People in owner households | 61,585 | 54.0 | 41.6 | 2.8 | 1.6 | |
| People in renter households | 21,900 | 39.8 | 51.1 | 5.7 | 3.4 | |
| Off reserve | Total—peopleTable 6 Note 2 | 732,495 | 61.0 | 20.5 | 14.2 | 4.3 |
| People in owner households | 370,100 | 73.3 | 16.0 | 8.9 | 1.8 | |
| People in renter households | 361,415 | 48.4 | 25.0 | 19.6 | 7.0 | |
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Additional information
Additional analysis on housing from the 2021 Census can be found in the Census in Brief article on Indigenous housing (Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98-200-X) and the Census analysis article on the housing portrait of Canada.
Additional information on housing from the 2021 Census can be found in the data tables; the Census Profile, Catalogue no. 98-316-X; and the Focus on Geography Series, Catalogue no. 98-404-X.
For details on the concepts, definitions and variables used in the 2021 Census of Population, please consult the Dictionary, Census of Population, 2021, Catalogue no. 98-301-X.
In addition to response rates and other data quality information, the Guide to the Census of Population, 2021, Catalogue no. 98-304-X, provides an overview of the various phases of the census, including content determination, sampling design, collection, data processing, data quality assessment, confidentiality guidelines and dissemination.
For more information on the housing variables, see the Housing Characteristics Reference Guide, Census of Population, 2021, Catalogue no. 98-500-X.
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