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Housing Quality Resources

The Institute of Urban Studies has a long history of working with tenants, landlords, and community organizations on housing issues. This section of our website consolidates resources for both housing workers and researchers.

Observer-Rated Housing Quality Scale (OHQS):

We know that housing quality is linked to people's health and well-being, but is there a way to measure exactly how livable a housing unit is? The Observer-rated Housing Quality Scale (OHQS) is a tool that tenants, housing workers, case managers, property owners, and researchers can use to assess housing conditions. The OHQS was originally developed and deployed in five Canadian cities as a part of the Mental Health Commission of Canada's At Home/Chez Soi project.

Below is a summary of the OHQS Rooming House and Single Room Occupancy Edition:

image of OHQS summary sheet

Housing Resources

Successful Tenancies:

IUS tools and resources for housing organizations working on eviction prevention and trying to keep people housed are available here

Rooming Houses and Single Room Occupancy Hotels:

The Institute of Urban Studies has released a number of reports about rooming houses and single-room occupancy hotels in Winnipeg's inner-city. Additional housing resources are available here

winnipeg's vanishing rooming houses in-brief cover page image of rooming house update handout
Link to living on furby Link to landlord tennant cooperation report
Link to beyond the front desk report Link to Out of the long dark hallway report