During the COVID-19 pandemic, My Home My Community (MHMC) has been busy creating helpful new tools for families. Soon we will have some exciting resources coming your way.

In 2020, MHMC got funding from the federal government’s Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). The Pathways to Homeownership project demonstrates inclusive models of homeownership and creates resources to help people with disabilities (and their families) purchase their own homes. It offers solutions to problems that people with an intellectual disability face when trying to buy their own house. 

We show how six people across Canada have successfully bought their own home in one of three ways:

  • Sole ownership:  the person with an intellectual disability owns the home in their name. 
  • Joint ownership: the person with an intellectual disability owns the home together with their parent or other family member.
  • Ownership through bare trusts: the person with an intellectual disability chooses someone they trust to put their name on the title of the home. A ‘title’ is a legal document that shows who owns a home. All other legal responsibilities for the home, including making decisions, stays with the individual.   

For this project, we chose to show examples of homeownership where:

  • The person with an intellectual disability has their name on the title, or
  • The person with an intellectual disability has complete legal control of the home

We included people who have diverse support needs. Some people can make decisions independently. Other people have communication barriers, or a significant intellectual disability, and rely on trusted family members to interpret their preferences. The stories and examples we’re developing reflect these realities.

To help people with an intellectual disability and their families, we are creating new resources that show how these types of homeownership work and how you can use them.


These resources will include: 

  • Case studies (written stories) of people who have bought their own home using sole ownership, joint ownership, or a bare trust.
  • Plain language homeownership resources, like a guide to mortgages.
  • Tools to teach professionals like lawyers, accountants, and bankers, about the different types of homeownership available for people with an intellectual disability. 
  •  Videos showing the homeownership journeys of people from across Canada. 

These resources will be available in the next few months, so stay tuned! Check out the MHMC website to learn more about our past work, and to access the exciting products coming soon.