Background

Focus Consulting Inc. is the corporate face of Steve Pomeroy, an independent policy-research consultant

Steve holds a masters degree in Urban Planning (UBC 1984) and has over 38 years of experience in policy research, strategic analysis, program implementation and market research. The substantive focus of much of his work has been housing and urban research. He has worked in the municipal level as an urban planner (1980-82) the non-profit sector in co-operative housing development (1983-83), and from 1984-1994 held a variety of positions with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

While at CMHC, he held various portfolios, including market analysis, social housing delivery and policy analysis, and housing and urban research. From 1990 to 1994 he headed CMHC’s internal policy think-tank, the Centre for Future Studies in Housing and Living Environments and was seconded to two major policy task forces: the 1990 Review for Expenditure Review Committee of Cabinet; and 1993-94 Social Housing Policy Review Team.

In July 1994 Steve established Focus Consulting Inc. and under the auspices of Focus Consulting Inc has completed over 180 reports and studies – see Research Reports tab.

Steve has been an advisor to a number of national associations, municipalities, and provinces dealing with government restructuring, housing needs analysis and development of comprehensive housing strategies. He is the former Chair (2006-2007) of the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA) Editorial Committee which published Canadian Housing and a former member (1995-2007) of the CHRA International Committee.

In January 2007 he was appointed as a Senior Research Fellow with the University of Ottawa Centre on Governance and in 2010 inaugurated a professional development course on the Fundamentals of Housing Policy and Governance. In 2013 he was appointed as a Research Associate in the Centre for Urban Research and Education (CURE) at Carleton University, and in 2016 became a Senior Research Fellow with CURE. He is also a Fellow of the School of Public Policy Administration (SPPA), Carleton University.

In 2013 Steve was awarded the Queens Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition to his contribution to housing research and policy development in Canada.

Personal Interests

A former national level distance runner and winner of the 1982 Vancouver International Marathon, Steve has been active in community sports his entire life.

In addition to being active as a runner cyclist, skier and paddler he served on the Board of the Vancouver Olympic Club from 1980-88, the Ottawa Gymnastics Centre (where daughter Cara competed) from 1993-2003, the Ottawa River Runners (son Spencer was national slalom team member 2004-2008 and 2016-19 and Whitewater Ontario from 2005 to 2015.

“Steve provided a thorough analysis that resulted in a promise to reinstate federal funding from the Province of Ontario. The City really benefitted from the depth and breadth of expertise about social housing funding models provided by Focus Consulting.”

– Susan Bacque, Manager Housing Division, City of Peterborough