▁or ▁d ining ▁room . ▁While ▁there ▁are ▁purpose - built ▁room ing ▁houses , ▁these ▁are ▁rare . ▁ ▁Cond ition ▁A ▁study ▁of ▁room ing ▁houses ▁in ▁Ott awa , ▁Ontario ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁found ▁that ▁" many ▁units ▁are ▁in ▁very ▁poor ▁condition ", ▁with ▁issues ▁such ▁as ▁m ould , ▁co ck ro aches , ▁bed bug s , ▁and ▁broken ▁lo cks . ▁ ▁An ▁article ▁about ▁Montreal ▁room ing ▁houses ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁units ▁often ▁contain ▁bed bug s ▁and ▁" fault y ▁pl umb ing ". ▁ ▁Res idents ▁In ▁one ▁Ott awa ▁study , ▁more ▁than ▁ 5 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁occup ants ▁in ▁room ing ▁houses ▁were ▁found ▁to ▁have ▁mental ▁health ▁diagn oses . ▁A ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁study ▁of ▁Toronto ▁room ing ▁house ▁residents ▁found ▁that ▁they ▁had ▁poor er ▁health ▁than ▁the ▁general ▁population ▁and ▁low ▁in comes . ▁ ▁A ▁study ▁of ▁ 2 9 5 ▁residents ▁from ▁ 1 7 1 ▁room ing ▁houses ▁in ▁Toronto ▁found ▁that ▁" res idents ▁aged ▁ 3 5 ▁years ▁and ▁older ▁had ▁significantly ▁poor er ▁health ▁status ▁than ▁their ▁counter parts ▁in ▁the ▁Canadian ▁general ▁population " ▁and ▁the ▁residents ▁had ▁a ▁" high ▁pre val ence ▁of ▁ill ▁health ", ▁with ▁the ▁worst - off ▁residents ▁( from ▁a ▁health ▁perspective ) ▁living ▁in ▁the ▁poor est - m aint ained ▁and ▁most ▁sub standard ▁room ing ▁houses . ▁ ▁An ▁article ▁about ▁room ing