As nearly three-quarters of Canadians say non-profit and co-op housing could tackle the country’s deepening housing crisis, experts suggest these solutions could also help combat climate change.

A recent Abacus survey of 6,000 adults found 73% of respondents view the two housing options as a viable solution to Canada’s housing shortages. Among supporters, 57% say affordability is a key benefit, 46% say co-ops and non-profits foster community and shared responsibility, while 45% say they promote long-term stability.

“Notably, 43% believe it reduces the influence of corporate landlords and limits real estate speculation, highlighting its potential as a tool for creating a fairer housing market,” writes Abacus Vice-President Eddie Sheppard in a report.

Support breaks along party lines: NDP and Liberal voters signal strong support, 70% and 67% respectively, while Conservatives are cooler to the idea, at 55%.

To boost non-market housing supply, 54% of respondents want federal funding tied to provincial and municipal housing commitments, while 53% back direct government investment in new projects. Prioritizing public land and provincial loans and grants are also seen as “key strategies.”

With 64% of respondents saying they “lack detail” on how co-op and non-profit housing operates, and another 22% admitting complete ignorance, Shepherd says “a clear opportunity” emerges for policymakers, housing advocates, and community groups to build increased awareness about these models “by bringing them to life through dedicated investment and initiatives.”

Addressing Construction Emissions

The significant public interest in the idea of non-profit and cooperative housing presents an inbuilt opportunity to cut carbon emissions, housing and climate expert Cherise Burda told The Energy Mix. Right out of the gate, the tendency for non-profit and co-op housing developers to build small, typically six stories or lower, results in a smaller carbon footprint because they use less carbon-intensive concrete.

Non-market developers build smaller because larger, taller buildings need concrete, which “is somewhere between 15% and 30% more expensive per foot than wood frame,” Burda explained.

Non-profits also tend to avoid “super expensive” underground parking, another concrete-intensive amenity. Instead, these types of housing work in a realm where there is more opportunity to for car sharing, “maybe even share an electric vehicle,” Burda said.

“Built in the community for the community,” these solutions “aren’t typically located out in urban sprawl,” but closer in, with transit close to hand, she added.

A ‘Two-Fer’

And importantly, non-market housing offers an affordability and climate “two-fer” because the developers are almost always “in for the long haul.”

“They want buildings that pay back on energy performance and save on energy bills,” Burda said, as well as homes that can stand up to heat waves and are not located in flood zones.

Now is the perfect time for a housing program that finances the non-profit and cooperative housing sector, “to build housing that is truly affordable and climate resilient,” she told The Mix.

The Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada), a partner on the Abacus poll, shares similar views on co-op and non-profit housing. The Toronto-based non-profit helps members adopt energy-efficient practices for climate mitigation and cost savings, “which in turn helps protect the building and support ongoing affordability” Executive Director Tim Ross said in an email.

“By empowering co-ops to act on sustainability, we’re helping to build affordable, resilient, and energy-efficient homes contributing to the broader goal of a healthier planet.”

Nodding toward climate and social justice benefits, renter advocacy group ACORN Canada said getting housing off the market is “a fundamental step” in addressing the housing affordability crisis.

“As the climate crisis increases the number of heat events in Canada’s major cities, low- and moderate- income people are struggling to afford cooling,” ACORN National President,Alejandra Ruiz Vargas told The Mix. “Community-controlled housing that is non-market presents a much needed solution.”