Community Data

 Data drives transformation and is the foundation of developing policy and enacting change, highlighting gaps, inequities and opportunities. SPRC Hamilton has a unique offering to the community and our partners in its specialized data research, collection and analysis. We help agencies, community groups, and residents to foster knowledge and build capacity on social justice and economic development issues.

One area of specialty is using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to deepen insights about our community.  The use of GIS allows us to utilize location-based analytics to transform, visually explore and analyze data. Maps can reveal spatial patterns that might not be evident from tables and charts. Our maps and related products have been used as valuable decision-making tools by experts, policymakers, and community organizations. We offer analysis and visualization of socio-demographic trends using census data or community infrastructure and services information. We can also offer analyses of neighbourhood level data to identify issues, strengths, proposed solutions, and to develop community action plans. We also partner with agencies that want to map their anonymized client data, to better understand their geographic reach, and underserved communities. Our approach fosters the creation of participatory community maps, through data, to tell a story.

Through our two page Hamilton Social Landscape reports, we strive to give bite-sized yet insightful analysis and data about trends that impact Hamiltonians across the city. Other series that focus on short reports to reveal useful nuggets of information about our community include Hamilton Rental Landscape reports, and Demographic Shifts reports. Longer reports are also published by the SPRC either in four page/tabloid format, such as Out of Control: Ontario’s acute rental housing crisis — Lesson from Hamilton and Quebec City, or Money for Nothing, Debt for Free: Is the payday loan industry cashing in on Hamilton’s rise in precarious employment,  or more exhaustive reports on specific topics, such as the Vulnerable Seniors in Hamilton report.

Research and data support planning and policy change, and SPRC Hamilton has a proud legacy of providing social research, analysis and community consultation for our not-for-profit partners.

Other important resources to access data about Hamilton:

CMHC Housing Market Information Portal

Province of Ontario Open Data Catalogue