Who gets to build non-market housing? A UCalgary sociologist looks for answers in four historic Chinatowns

In many cities, Chinatowns sit where housing, immigration and cultural survival meet. Which raises the question: Who gets to build housing?  

For Dr. Matt Patterson, PhD, associate professor in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Calgary, the question emerged from an unexpected starting point. In 2019, he was invited to contribute research to the City of Calgary's cultural plan for its downtown Chinatown. What began as a local project introduced him to broader questions about neighbourhood change, affordable housing and who has the power to shape a city's future.  

"The kind of housing that gets built affects the kind of people you find in a city and in a neighbourhood," says Patterson. "Answering questions about who gets to build housing tells us a lot about what a city is, who it's for, who's comfortable there, who's welcome, who's excluded and who's included."  

This work has led to a five-year study of housing in four historic Chinatowns across Canada and the United States: Calgary, Toronto, Chicago and Philadelphia. The project is one of 34 UCalgary-led initiatives funded through the 2025 Insight Grants program from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The research also received UCalgary Transdisciplinary Connector Grants in 2023 and 2025.

Non-market housing — housing developed by governments and non-profit organizations to serve community needs rather than generate profit — has a long history in North American Chinatowns, where community organizations have built homes for newcomers, low-income residents and seniors, often alongside settlement services and other supports.   

Different paths  

Calgary's Chinatown built substantial non-market housing in the 1980s, then largely stopped. Across two census tracts that include Chinatown and parts of downtown Calgary, the proportion of residents identifying as Chinese declined from 25.5 per cent in 2006 to 16.4 per cent in 2021. 

Chicago followed a different trajectory, continuing to build housing aimed at Chinese immigrants through the 1990s and 2000s. In a census tract closely aligned with Chinatown, the proportion of residents identifying as Chinese remained relatively stable, from 85 per cent in 2000 to 87 per cent in 2010.

Toronto and Philadelphia offer other contrasts: Toronto has higher real estate prices and a centralized public housing system, while Philadelphia has an active Chinatown-based community development corporation. 

Patterson's earlier research suggests non-market housing development is one factor influencing these demographic trajectories, alongside immigration, regional housing and labour markets, and the presence of suburban Chinese enclaves. 

From cultural preservation to housing  

The focus on housing grew out of Patterson's earlier work with architect Dr. Henry Tsang, PhD, of Athabasca University. Between 2021 and 2024, the pair studied Chinatowns across Canada and the United States, examining how these historic neighbourhoods were adapting to the pressures of the 21st century.  

"Through that work, we realized that one of the really important things that makes a big difference for the survival of Chinatowns is the availability of affordable housing, and especially housing that's accessible to immigrants and lower-income communities," says Patterson.  

The project will examine the economic, political and organizational factors that shape communities’ ability to build non-market housing. The research team includes collaborators from Athabasca University, the University of Toronto and the University of Cincinnati, along with PhD research assistants. 

Through interviews, field visits, archival and planning materials, and census and municipal data, the team will study one Chinatown during each of the project’s first four years, beginning with Calgary. The fifth year will compare findings across all four. 

Lessons beyond Chinatown  

Although the project focuses on Chinatowns, Patterson sees the research as part of a much larger conversation about cities.  

Communities across Canada and the United States are grappling with housing affordability, immigration and neighbourhood change. Understanding what enables communities to build non-market housing and what stands in their way could offer lessons for housing development beyond Chinatowns. 

"Chinatowns are unique, to be sure," says Patterson. "But I do think cities across Canada and the United States can learn from this history. It holds a lot of lessons for how we can build sustainable, inclusive neighbourhoods."  

Project team 

The project team includes: 

• Dr. Henry Tsang, PhD, Athabasca University; RAIC Centre for Architecture 
• Dr. Erica Allen-Kim, PhD, University of Toronto; John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design 
• Morris Lum, University of Toronto; John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design 
• Dr. Hyesun Jeong, PhD, University of Cincinnati; College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning 
• Dr. Hayden Shelby, PhD, University of Cincinnati; College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning