Recent criticism of CMHC’s data showcases the value of data sourced directly from the people closest to the ground.
In Prince Edward County, a nonprofit group has been trying for years to secure a loan from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) to convert an abandoned school into 56 housing units.
According to Ken How, the project’s facilitator, the trouble lies in how CMHC evaluates applications for federal housing programs. The agency uses in-house values to determine market rent when lending for rental housing development, but How says their numbers are way below what locals are actually paying.
And if CMHC believes a project won’t generate enough rental income to repay a loan, it’s unlikely to greenlight the funding.
Frustrated with the mismatch, Prince Edward County started collecting its own data back in 2020. Instead of relying solely on online listings, municipal staff combed Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji, called landlords directly, and updated numbers every time a new listing came up rather than relying on a one-time snapshot.
The results were telling. Their most recent data shows the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the area is around $1,650 per month – $450 higher than CMHC’s latest estimate of $1,200.
According to How, a modest change in how CMHC calculates market rent could open the door to more affordable housing projects not only in Prince Edward County, but in similar communities everywhere.
Prince Edward County’s grassroots effort shows how much more accurate data can be when it includes real-time input from local landlords and property managers.
If you're a property manager, you can help. By sharing your rent prices or other management data with local municipalities or housing advocates, you’re not just improving the numbers – you could help communities build more housing, attract new renters, and make affordability a reality.
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