Dr. Carolyn Whitzman is a housing and social policy researcher. She has worked as an expert advisor to UBC’s Housing Assessment Resource Tools (HART) project, which developed standardized best practices for analysing housing need, using government land for nonmarket housing, and nonmarket property acquisition, using detailed, open data. These tools have influenced federal housing policy. Currently, she works as a senior housing researcher at University of Toronto’s School of Cities, analysing best practices to scale affordable ‘missing middle’, modular, and replicable housing. She is on the federal government’s Expert Panel on the Homebuilding Industry.
Carolyn is the author, co-author or lead editor of six books, including the forthcoming Home Truths: Fixing Canada’s Housing Crisis (UBC On Point Press, October 2024) and Clara at the Door with a Revolver: the scandalous Black suspect, the exemplary white son, and the murder that shocked Toronto (UBC On Point Press, 2023). She is the author or co-author of over 80 book chapters, articles, and reports, on issues related to the right to the city. She has provided expertise to national, state/provincial and local governments, UN Women, UN Habitat, and private and non-profit organizations.
Books
(public release date October 21, 2024) Whitzman, C. Home Truths: Fixing Canada’s Housing Crisis (University of British Columbia- On Point Press).
(2023) Whitzman, C. Clara at the Door with a Revolver: the scandalous Black suspect, the exemplary white son, and the murder that shocked Toronto (University of British Columbia- On Point Press)
Selected Major Reports
(2024) Whitzman, C. Both/And: Integrating natural assets in federal housing supply policy. Victoria: Natural Assets Iniatitive/
(2023) Whitzman, C. A Human Rights Based Calculation of Canada’s Housing Shortages. Ottawa: Office of the Federal Housing Advocate.
(2023) Whitzman, C. Our City Starts with Home: Scaling Up Non-Profit Housing in Ottawa. Ottawa: Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa.
(2022) Whitzman, C, Flynn, A., Gurstein P, Jones, C., Chau, L, Atkey, J., Suttor, G., Falvo, N. The Municipal Role in Housing. Toronto: University of Toronto Institute for Municipal Finance and Governance.
Selected journalism/ professional publications
(2024, September 3) Whitzman, C. “Workers Can’t Find Affordable Housing. Their Pension Funds Are Part of the Problem”, Globe and Mail.
(2024, May 31) Whitzman, C. “If Justin Trudeau and Doug Ford actually want affordable housing in Ontario, they’ll have to agree on this one basic thing”, Toronto Star.
(2023, November 21) Whitzman, C. “A Million Nonmarket Homes in 10 Years: That Should be the Goal,” Policy Options.
(2023, August 23) Whitzman, C. “Canada’s Progressive Parties Have Lost the Plot on the Housing Crisis,” Globe and Mail.
(2022, November 11) Whitzman, C. “Governments Across Canada Need Common, Income-Based Definition of Affordable Housing,” Globe and Mail.
(2022, August 3) Whitzman, C. “A Two Million Home Program is Possible,” National Right to Housng Network blog.