Making the right to housing a reality by putting people first
May 29, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Office of the Federal Housing Advocate
Following the launch of the Federal Housing Advocate’s 2023–2024 Annual Report to the Minister, Marie-Josée Houle issues the following statement:
Canada’s housing situation has reached a crisis point. While there has been some progress, we have much work ahead of us.
As detailed in my 2023–2024 Annual Report, people experiencing homelessness, and those living in inadequate housing, are often in these intolerable situations due to systemic issues. The financialization of housing, a serious lack of affordable housing, barriers to accessible housing, and systemic discrimination are contributing to the situation. For Indigenous peoples, there are often no options for adequate housing where they live. For people experiencing homelessness, shelters are limited and not always appropriate, and people have resorted to living in encampments because there is nowhere else safe to go.
Canada has the capacity to end the housing and homelessness crisis. This requires a human rights approach that puts people first. We must prioritize housing that is safe, healthy, and affordable for everyone — from students, to newcomers, to people with low incomes. We must prioritize housing for people with disabilities, seniors, and families. And this housing must remain affordable in perpetuity, so we don’t find ourselves here again in another generation.
It is heartening to see that the national conversation about housing has evolved to greater awareness of people who are in the most disadvantaged housing circumstances. As I talked to people across Canada this past year, I saw a shift in empathy. People are beginning to understand what a human rights-based approach to housing is, and especially the role of governments in making housing accessible for everyone in Canada, not just those who wish to buy a home.
There are ways we can create real and sustainable change. We need leadership and resources at the national level to end inadequate housing and homelessness across the entire country. We also need people on the ground in each place to take my recommendations, and the initiatives of the federal government, and implement them based on what each community needs.
The good news is that governments are starting to listen. Last year, I engaged with the federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments to make progress on these systemic issues. This advocacy is not just mine – I am proud to stand alongside Indigenous peoples, people experiencing homelessness, and powerful community advocates to co-develop recommendations and push for governments to change.
This is a complex problem that requires many solutions.
All of us, working together, can make the right to housing real for everyone, by making sure that it is a top priority for governments at all levels. We need everyone at the table to create lasting change.
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