Shelter cost of private household

Status: This standard was approved as a departmental standard on September 14, 2022.

Definition

Shelter cost refers to the average monthly total of all shelter expenses paid by households.

Shelter costs for owner households include, where applicable, mortgage payments, property taxes and condominium fees, along with the costs of electricity, heat, water and other municipal services. For renter households, shelter costs include, where applicable, the rent and the costs of electricity, heat, water and other municipal services. For households living in a dwelling provided by the local government, First Nation or Indian band, shelter costs include, where applicable, the monthly use or occupancy payment and the costs of electricity, heat, water and other municipal services.

Private household refers to a person or group of persons who occupy the same dwelling and do not have a usual place of residence elsewhere in Canada or abroad. The household universe is divided into two sub-universes on the basis of whether the household is occupying a collective dwelling or a private dwelling. The latter is a private household.

Usage

The population of study includes private households that are not located on an agricultural operation that is operated by a member of the household. New methods of collecting the monthly use or occupancy payment for households living in a dwelling provided by the local government, First Nation or Indian band permit the derivation of a measure of shelter costs that is complete in a similar way to renter- and owner-occupied households. The population of study should be specified for historical comparisons or for studies that wish to focus on owner- and renter-occupied private households that are not located on an agricultural operation that is operated by a member of the household.

Conformity to relevant internationally recognized standards

This standard is compatible with the recommendations for censuses contained in the United Nations' "Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses, Revision 3", 2017. The United Nations considers housing costs an additional topic for collection rather than a core topic for the census.

Measurements

• 'Amount of shelter cost' is expressed in Canadian dollars. Value ranges from 0 to the maximum amount on the file. March 24, 2016 to current

Relation to previous version

• Shelter cost of private household September 14, 2022 to current

  The definition of shelter cost has been modified.

• Shelter cost of private household August 25, 2021 to September 13, 2022

  The definition of shelter cost has been modified to include households living in a dwelling provided by the local government, First Nation or Indian band.

• Shelter cost of private household March 24, 2016 to August 24, 2021

  This standard replaces the recommended standard 'Shelter cost of private household'. The name of the concept "shelter cost" has changed in French. The definition of shelter cost has been modified and the shelter cost classification has been replaced by a measurement section.

• Shelter cost of private household September 11, 2013 to March 23, 2016

  This was the recommended standard from September 11, 2013 to March 23, 2016.