In 2019, the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation announced an aspirational goal: By 2030, everyone in Canada will have a home that they can afford and that meets their needs.

Affordability of housing is determined by two main factors:

• Are rents and/or housing costs affordable, relative to median incomes?
• Are future costs such as utilities affordable, even in light of changing climates?
  

BUILDING UPGRADES & MAINTENANCE

In Canada's aging apartment housing, retrofits are required to keep apartments comfortable, healthy and safe for tenants. This can mean repairs to leaky building envelopes, or inefficient HVAC systems and distributions, for example.

However, many landlords pay for retrofits by raising rents. Improving housing quality while maintaining rental affordability is critical to the ambitious housing goal outlined by the federal governments.

THE COST OF ENERGY

In rental housing, affordability can also be threatened by rising utility costs. When apartments are leaky, mouldy, or over- or under-heated, tenants can face 'fuel poverty' as they require more and more energy to keep their units at a comfortable temperature. Retrofitting apartment housing to limit the fluctuations associated with changing climates can help to stabilize these costs.

For example, in a Passive House retrofit, you may be able to heat and cool your apartment with the energy it takes to run two lightbulbs! Retrofits can lead to significant decreases in utility bill burdens for families.