The “Affordable” Guideline
“Affordable” means a household should not spend more than 30% of their gross annual household income (before tax) on shelter costs. This threshold is used by CMHC and is generally accepted by stakeholders in the housing environment.
Especially for low and moderate income households, when this 30% guideline is exceeded, the household becomes more incapable of financing all life essentials.
The term “affordable housing” refers to housing that is affordable to low and moderate income households.
Minimum Wage
A new measure of affordability for average market rents is the hourly wage a person must earn in order to rent a unit without spending more than 30% of total income.
The Ontario current minimum wage is inadequate to rent any apartment type in Belleville.
Measure of Poverty
Statistics Canada after-tax low income cut off
Family Size |
Rural Areas |
Pop less than 30,000 |
Pop 30,000 to 99,999 |
1 |
$11,264 |
$12,890 |
$14,380 |
2 |
$13,709 |
$15,690 |
$17,502 |
3 |
$17,071 |
$19,535 |
$21,794 |
4 |
$21,296 |
$24,373 |
$27,190 |
5 |
$24,251 |
$27,754 |
$30,962 |
6 |
$26,895 |
$30,780 |
$34,338 |
7 |
$29,539 |
$33,806 |
$37,713 |
Statistics Canada does not refer to the LICOs as poverty lines, although they concede that LICOs identify “those who are substantially worse off than the average.”