Recommendation 1: CMHC and BC Housing should clarify that the National Occupancy Standards are simply guidelines and are not legally mandated. These organizations should publish definitive statements on their website to make this information publicly accessible.

Recommendation 2: Safety should be the top priority considered by all social and community housing providers when evaluating the eligibility of those looking for housing, instead of the focus on the number of bedrooms. This can be accomplished through the creation of new operational policies that take these critical considerations into account.

Recommendation 3: These standards should be modified by municipal and provincial government actors to align with our modern-day standards, an understanding of cultural differences and the “economic realities”. For this, we can look beyond our borders to other nations who have implemented more flexible guidelines that cause fewer barriers for those seeking housing. Using these guidelines, flexible and localized occupancy standards should be developed that reflect the affordable housing crisis while recognizing current societal patterns and embodying a true right to housing.