Put people first to solve the housing crisis

On National Housing Day, the Federal Housing Advocate, Marie-Josée Houle, issues the following statement:

Canada’s housing crisis has reached catastrophic proportions. It is only getting worse as more people are forced to deal with the pinch of inflation, rising rent costs, and the grim reality of housing insecurity.

One thing is certain: we must put human rights first.

Housing is a fundamental human right for every person in Canada. Everyone is entitled to a home that is affordable, accessible, safe, and healthy.

Our current housing system is not upholding this right.

The people who are disproportionately affected by the housing crisis are falling further behind. Many are clinging to inadequate housing because they have no other choice. Others are one missed pay cheque away from homelessness. People living in encampments are having their tents destroyed, despite having no other place to go.

Meanwhile, the for-profit housing industry is making money at the expense of Canadians. We cannot count on them to fix the housing crisis.

It can no longer wait. The federal government needs to urgently take the lead on creating housing that prioritizes people's human right to housing over profit.

Any investment of public money must result in public good.

While Canada needs more housing supply across the board, it must be the right type of supply that responds to those in greatest need.

A human rights-based analysis of the housing supply shortage in Canada found that we are missing 4.4 million homes that are affordable to people in housing need.

These figures are a new way of looking at housing supply in Canada. The analysis includes people who are not usually counted in supply estimates, and focuses on renters as well as their circumstances and housing needs.

Canada needs a long-term plan to bridge the gap in its affordable housing supply.

Investing in non-market housing is the way out of the housing crisis. Public money should support non-market housing – cooperative, non-profit and public housing –that is permanently affordable and accessible.

To start, the National Housing Strategy’s $82-billion dollar suite of programs should change course to prioritize the construction of non-market housing. The federal government can create a fund for non-market and Indigenous housing providers to buy, repair and operate existing buildings. And lastly, the federal government must attach conditions to federal infrastructure funding that mandate the creation of non-market housing in new housing projects.

This is a complex problem that requires many solutions. All levels of government have a role to play in funding non-market housing. And the federal government has a responsibility to lead the way.

The ultimate goal is a sustainable housing system. The key ingredient to get there is a human rights approach that puts people first, and programs that respond to their needs.

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Office of the Federal Housing Advocate
613-943-9118
communications@chrc-ccdp.gc.ca