Owner Occupied Homes: A Protective Factor against Crime in a Community

Posted on: July 11th, 2013 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council

Over the next ten weeks stay tuned here to the blog discussion on The Root Causes of Crime in Waterloo Region where community leaders, community residents and leading experts across Waterloo Region weigh in on the root causes of crime outlined in the report.


Owner Occupied Homes

Individuals living in owner occupied homes are less transitory than renters. Homeowners’ financial interests also encourage them to support positive neighbourhood interactions. Home ownership also represents a Canadian value because it is seen to alleviate real and/or perceived disadvantages for individuals. For these reasons higher levels of home ownership is a protective factor against crime in a community.

The Statistics

Graph: Home ownership in Waterloo Region, 2001/2006Source Data: Statistics Canada, Census (Released Every Five Years)

Story Behind the Numbers

Home ownership in the Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo CMA increased from 2001 to 2006. This increase in home ownership echoes the national trend which saw a similar increase over this time period. This is a positive trend for Waterloo Region as it indicates increased stability within the population.

Read the Community Responses

 

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