Housing crisis is a driver of domestic violence and school dropouts: think tank

MONTRÉAL — A Quebec think tank says the province’s housing crisis is a driver of domestic violence and negatively affects school dropout rates.

On Thursday, the Observatoire québécois des inégalités published the third instalment of a study analyzing the consequences of the province’s housing prices.

Researcher Sandy Torres says a lack of affordable housing forces many households to live in homes that are too small or overcrowded, spaces that carry a higher risk of domestic violence.

A cramped living space, she said, “generates tension and conflicts that can escalate into aggressive acts … whether psychological, physical, or otherwise.”

The researcher notes that the study can only establish links within the limits of its methodology — meaning it can only show that insufficient living space and violence are related, not that one causes the other.

“We are in no way claiming to establish a cause-and-effect relationship,” Torres said. “These are calculated probabilities, and what they tell us is that there is an increased risk of experiencing domestic violence — a risk that has been quantified as 7.8 per cent higher compared to those living in a home that is not overcrowded.”

Torres said a lack of affordable housing on the market not only keeps people stuck in homes that are too small, but it also makes it harder for a person of limited financial means to leave an abusive relationship.

Her colleague Geoffroy Boucher, an economist at the observatory, said the ability to escape violence is directly linked to socioeconomic status.

“There are still people who decide to leave the shared home, but we see that the proportion is lower among those who report having a low income than among those who are financially secure,” he said.

The study found that people who perceived themselves as very poor were 59 per cent more likely, compared to those who said they were financially secure, to have considered leaving their shared home because of violence but who ultimately decided to stay.

It also showed that people who perceived themselves as very poor were 65.5 per cent more likely to report having experienced violence during their lifetime than those who said they are financially secure.

Researchers also analyzed the results of the Longitudinal Study of Child Development in Quebec, which has been tracking a cohort of more than 2,000 young people born in 1997 and 1998 for more than 25 years.

The data revealed that poor housing conditions hinder the development of preschool skills at age six, as assessed by teachers, and subsequently affect reading performance in elementary school by age 10.

Ultimately, the researchers found that children who grew up in housing requiring major repairs were around 80 per cent more likely to have neither a diploma nor a qualification by age 21. When it comes to the 1997—1998 cohort, Boucher says the data is revealing

“We can see that 88.4 per cent of children who lived in housing that did not require major repairs during early childhood obtained a diploma by age 21, compared to 76 per cent of those living in housing requiring major repairs.”

He said the discrepancy in graduation rates could be the result of stress on a child’s parents, who are unable to meet their children’s needs because of a lack of time or financial resources.

A home that is too small or in poor condition can also hinder a child’s ability to do homework or sleep well, the researcher says.

The researchers say studies show that the loss of income associated with not graduating ranges from $500,000 to $2 million per person over the course of their working life. Losses reflect increased costs for employment insurance, social assistance, the health-care system, and crime, which total an estimated $15.3 billion. When one includes the loss of economic potential, such as less spending and lower tax revenue, this total rises to $20.3 billion in Quebec, according to 2024 data.

Dr. Isabelle Samson, the director of public health for the Estrie region, says the findings aren’t a surprise.

While it’s difficult to pinpoint the specific role housing plays in complex issues, “there is still ample evidence in the literature that smaller living spaces for children impair sleep quality, hinder the ability to do homework, and increase academic failure,” she said.

She said the study’s findings represent a powerful case for building social housing for the benefit not only of individual families but also all of society.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2026.

Pierre Saint-Arnaud, The Canadian Press