3. What is happening with housing and homelessness policy today?

We may have taken the scenic route, but we have arrived at the present day. So, what is happening with housing and homelessness policy today? Before you dive into the material that follows, we encourage you to take a moment and write down your response to this question. Perhaps you have been closely following the news as politicians make public announcements, reading social media posts that offer editorials on contemporary policies, or have no firsthand knowledge of what is currently happening in the housing political arena. If you feel well-versed in contemporary housing and homelessness policy, jot down a few key issues you are aware of, and if you are not, write down what you think might be happening based on everything you have learned up until this point. Remember that policy choices are always a reaction to the outcomes of policies that came before.

 

Your response in this section may be as brief or as long as you wish and is for your learning purposes only. It will not be seen by your instructor or fellow classmates.

 

How to complete this activity and save your work: Type your response to the question in the box below. When you are done answering the question navigate to the ‘Export’ page to download and save your response. If you prefer to work in a Word document offline you can skip right to the Export section and download a Word document with this question there.

 

In 2017 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that thirty years after withdrawing from creating social housing, the Federal government was returning to the proverbial table with the roll out of the 10-year $40 billion National Housing Strategy entitled, ““A Place to Call Home” (Government of Canada, 2017). Here is a brief newsclip of the announcement that was made at the time, in November 2017. 

Following the announcement of the National Housing Act in 2017, the budget of $40 billion was increased to an allocation of over $70 billion. In 2018 we saw the release of “Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy,”  which outlined the federal government’s commitment to reduce chronic homelessness by 50% over 10 years (Government of Canada, 2018). A year later, in 2019, the National Housing Strategy Act was passed (Government of Canada, 2019) making the right to housing a key part of our national housing law. Collectively these represent positive steps towards ending homelessness in Canada, but as the saying goes â€œshow me, don’t tell me.” We are still in the early years of enacting these strategies and legislation pieces. While the commitments are a good starting point, they are just that – a starting point. In the next set of videos Dr. Erin Dej and Dr. Jacqueline Kennelly discuss this further.

 

Dr. Erin Dej: A new wave of federal housing policy in Canada

In this video, Dr. Erin Dej shares optimism that Canada is experiencing a new wave of investment, albeit rolling out slowly, and a federal return to affordable housing through the National Housing Strategy created in 2017 and the National Housing Strategy Act in passed in 2019 that included a declaration of the right to housing. This video is 1:02 in length and has closed captions available in English.

Key Takeaways – Dr. Erin Dej: A new wave of federal housing policy in Canada

  1. The National Housing Strategy was created in 2017, as a federal government initiative to return to social housing and affordable housing in Canada.
  2. The National Housing Strategy Act was associated legislation created in 2019, that included a declaration of the right to housing.
  3. As of 2021 roll out of the funds have been slow, but there is optimism that this period represents a new wave of investment in affordable housing.

 

Dr. Jacqueline Kennelly: We need more affordable housing

In this video, Dr. Jacqueline Kennelly argues that we need more affordable housing. She credits the National Housing Strategy as being a starting point for the Federal government’s return to housing, after their withdrawal in the 1990s. However, Dr. Kennelly notes that the Strategy has been slow to roll out and there is concern over the long-term commitment to affordability on behalf of landlords and builders who receive these funds. This video is 1:14 in length and has closed captions available in English.

Key Takeaways – Dr. Jacqueline Kennelly: We need more affordable housing

  1. We need more affordable housing.
  2. The National Housing Strategy is Federal level funding that is finally starting to be put back into housing, after the withdrawal from building affordable housing in the 1990s.
    • The National Housing Strategy is rolling out slowly and there are concerns that the private landlords / builders who receive funds may not have a long-term commitment to affordability.

 

One of the most impactful elements of the new Federal approach is the declaration of the right to housing. In the National Housing Strategy Act, the Government of Canada (2019) declares to:

  1. recognize that the right to adequate housing is a fundamental human right affirmed in international law;
  2. recognize that housing is essential to the inherent dignity and well-being of the person and to building sustainable and inclusive communities;
  3. support improved housing outcomes for the people of Canada; and
  4. further the progressive realization of the right to adequate housing as recognized in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

 

In the next two videos, Dr. Stephen Gaetz and Dr. Bernie Pauly discuss the importance of understanding housing as a human right.

Dr. Stephen Gaetz: What is happening with housing and homelessness policy today?

In this video, Dr. Stephen Gaetz argues that decades of neglecting affordable housing in Canada has created a massive issue that requires, “all hands on deck.” He sites the National Housing Strategy and legislation as being positive developments at the federal level but pushes for a move towards progressive realization of the right to housing that includes more investments and a focus on prevention. This video is 0:43 in length and has closed captions available in English.

Key Takeaways – Dr. Stephen Gaetz: What is happening with housing and homelessness policy today?

  1. After decades of not investing in building new affordable housing in Canada, the task of correcting this issue is massive.
  2. The National Housing Strategy and associated legislation are positive policy changes at the federal level of government.
  3. Canada needs to move towards progressive realization of the right to housing, with more investments and a focus on prevention.

 

Dr. Bernie Pauly: Housing as a human right

In this video Dr. Bernadette (Bernie) Pauly argues that there are some universal basic human needs, such as for safe, secure, and adequate housing, access to food, an adequate income, and access to community. Beyond these fundamentals, she argues what people need is individualized and there is no “one size fits all” model of housing and supports that will work for everyone. She argues that men, women, and LGBTQ2S+ populations will need different services and supports, based on their unique and individualized needs. Dr. Pauly concludes that if we could focus on a spectrum of housing that is informed and directed by people with lived experience, we would get a radical shift in how we think about housing and support as being self-determined to meet people’s needs. This video is 3:44 in length and has closed captions available in English.

Key Takeaways – Dr. Bernie Pauly: Housing as a human right

  1. There are some fundamental things that people need.
    • Everyone has a need for – and right to – safe, secure, and adequate housing.
    • All people need access to food, an adequate income, and access to community.
  2. Beyond those shared fundamentals, what people need is individualized. There is no ‘one size fits all’ beyond the basic fundamental human needs.
    • The specific kinds of housing and supports that people need will vary. Some may prefer independent housing with supports in the community, while others might prefer housing and supports combined together onsite.
  3. There is no universal response that will be suited to the needs of women, men, and LGBTQ2S+ individuals. There are some universal basic determinants, but individual needs will be different.
  4. If we could focus on a spectrum of housing that is informed and directed by people with lived experience, we would get a radical shift in how we think about housing and support as being self-determined to meet people’s unique needs.

 

Dr. Gaetz (2020) has written that Canada is in the beginning stages of a move towards prevention. Much of this work hinges on housing being considered a human right. For instance, Housing First operates on the premise that housing is a right but review of the literature suggests that terms related to rights are seldom referenced, and when they are included often lack detail and justification (Collins & Stout, 2021). Saying that housing is a right is different than enacting housing as a human right. We need to see these changes in action.

 

As part of a strategic move towards implementation, The National Right to Housing Network published three reports in 2021. These reports focused on how to implement the right to adequate housing under the National Housing Strategy Act (Porter, 2021), implement the right to housing in Canada and expand the National Housing Strategy (Biss & Raza, 2021), and implement the right to housing for women, girls, and gender diverse people in Canada (Schwan, Vaccaro, Reid, & Ali, 2021).

 

In this section’s featured reading from the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation and The National Right to Housing Network, we take a closer look at how Canada can fulfill its commitments to human rights under the National Housing Strategy Act.

Featured Reading:

open book graphicCentre for Equality Rights in Accommodation and The National Right to Housing Network. (2021). The rights to life, protection of the home & nondiscrimination in Canada: Assessing the housing & homelessness crisis in accordance with Articles 2, 6, 17 & 26 of the ICCPR. Canada: CERA & NRHN.

What do you think?

human head with light bulb as brain graphicFollowing international frameworks, Canada has created legislation that formalizes its commitment to housing as a human right. Why do you think it took until 2019 for Canada to recognize that all humans have a right to be suitably and securely housed? 

As you consider this question, of why Canada has only now begun to formalize the right to housing, it is useful to reflect back on the history that has brought us to this point. In the next video, Dr. Jonathan Greene reviews the history and raises additional questions about whether our current strategy goes far enough in making a long-term sustainable impact. 

 

Dr. Jonathan Greene: What is happening with housing and homelessness policy today?

In this video, Dr. Jonathan Greene argues that we must understand the history of housing policy in Canada to understand current housing policy. He notes that in the 1960s through the early-1980s there were federal, provincial, and municipal housing interventions, but that by 1993 the federal government had stopped creating new social housing. In the mid-1990s the devolution of housing meant that responsibility for new social housing went from the federal government down to provinces, and in Ontario under Premier Mike Harris was further downloaded to municipalities. Today, Dr. Greene notes, the National Housing Strategy is providing billions of dollars towards the creation of affordable housing but is projected to have limited impact on those in core housing need. Notably, he cites reports from the Financial Accountability Office in Ontario that indicates new affordable housing developments will offset the existing housing that is being lost due to lack of upkeep, resulting in the same proportion of low-income people without housing in 2027-28 as in 2021. This video is 4:14 in length and has closed captions available in English.

Key Takeaways – Dr. Jonathan Greene: What is happening with housing and homelessness policy today?

  1. It is important to consider the history of housing policy in Canada in order to understand present housing policy in Canada.
    • There were federal, provincial, and municipal housing interventions in the 1960s and 1970s, that continued into the early 1980s.
    • By the mid-1980s the federal government began to decrease investments in social housing, and by 1993 had stopped creating new social housing entirely.
    • In Ontario in the mid-1990s Premier Mike Harris’ conservative government cancelled all existing provincial social housing projects. This era also represented the devolution of housing – first from the federal to the provincial level, and in Ontario from the provincial to the municipal level.
  2. Despite the National Housing Strategy, in which the federal government is investing billions of dollars in building affordable housing, reports from the Financial Accountability Office in Ontario indicate there is going to be limited impact for low-income individuals in the years following 2021.
    • There are housing announcements made, but a lot of the funds go towards helping developers or the private sector and not necessarily to establish housing that addresses the needs of low-income people.
    • The estimates of people living in core housing need in Ontario (i.e. spending more than 30% of their income on housing) are predicted to remain the same in 2027/28 as they are in 2021.
    • The main reason that core housing need will remain the same is because cities are currently losing housing to disrepair at the same rate as they are making new affordable housing available.
      • Major cities are growing and as they try to establish deeply affordable units, they are losing units as well.
      • It is a cat and mouse game with not enough investments or resources directed where they are needed.

The right to housing means not only that the government has an obligation to ensure people have access to housing, but that the housing must also be affordable, safe, and secure. It is important we consider the impact the National Housing Strategy will have on people experiencing chronic homelessness, as well as those who are at-risk or in core housing need. To learn more about core housing need, consider these two brief videos from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Renewal Corporation.

It is important that as time passes, and we get further away from the announcement of these large federal initiatives like the housing and homelessness strategies, that we maintain the momentum. We do this, in large part, by keeping pressure on the government and ensuring their actions match the commitments that they made. As Dr. Tim Aubry explains in the video that follows, it is easy to shift the focus towards homeownership, which is important but overshadows people who cannot afford housing because they live in deep poverty. We must also hold our elected officials accountable, as Dr. Naomi Nichols subsequently explains. 

 

Dr. Tim Aubry: What is happening with housing and homelessness policy today?

In this video, Dr. Tim Aubry discusses the introduction of the National Housing Strategy in 2017 as a means for building new affordable housing and repairing the existing stock. He notes that the rising cost of housing is an issue that has overshadowed homelessness, particularly as it relates to first-time home buyers. The issue of rising housing costs impacts more people, so it is a more prominent topic of political discussions. He concludes that we need to find a way to increase affordable housing, whether for rental or private market, such that the supply meets the demand. This video is 2:35 in length and has closed captions available in English.

Key Takeaways – Dr. Tim Aubry: What is happening with housing and homelessness policy today?

  1. The National Housing Strategy was introduced by the Liberal government in 2017, with the intention of building new affordable housing and renovating the existing stock that is in disrepair.
  2. The cost of housing is an issue that has been overshadowing homelessness, particularly related to people who want to buy housing, such as first-time home buyers.
    • The issue of rising housing costs impacts more people, so it is a more prominent topic of political discussion than homelessness.
  3. We need to find a way to increase affordable housing, such that supply meets the demand regardless of whether it is rental or private market housing.

 

Dr. Naomi Nichols: Systems planning and the role of consultants

In this video, Dr. Naomi Nichols discusses systems planning at the level of city councillors, service provision, and community consultants. She argues that city councillors must recognize that placing people in emergency shelters is neither a housing-led approach nor a solution to homelessness, and that they should be held accountable for the responses to homelessness implemented in their communities. Dr. Nichols further notes that at the service provision level, the lack of affordable housing stock means that service providers are being directed to fill out forms and rationalize resource distribution, but without ultimately having the desired effects of reducing waitlist times and homelessness. Finally, she urges communities to think very carefully and critically about the advice they receive from consultants. In recent years some communities have been given damaging advice, such as to make shelters less comfortable, remove arts-based programming, and compare themselves to other communities’ outcomes without considerations of how each are unique. This video is 6:14 in length and has closed captions available in English.

Key Takeaways – Dr. Naomi Nichols: Systems planning and the role of consultants

  1. City councillors need to recognize that emergency shelters are not a solution to homelessness.
    • Placing people in shelters is not a housing-led response to homelessness and risks putting them in unhealthy mental and physical spaces.
    • City councils should be held accountable for the responses to homelessness implemented within their communities.
  2. At the service provision level, the lack of affordable housing means that workers are going through the process of filling out forms and trying to rationalize resource distribution but are not actually having the desired impact because the supply does not meet the demand.
    • Service providers receive funding from municipalities, through provincial governments, tied to federal programs and policies, which limits what they can do. This system creates a “homelessness industrial complex” that sustains itself by keeping service providers busy, but not resolving the underlying issues.
  3. At the community level we need to think very carefully and critically about advice from consultants.
    • Some communities have received damaging messages about how to organize shelters so that they are uncomfortable for residents. The idea that if people are uncomfortable they will leave, goes against what we know about wellness being linked to positive housing outcomes.
    • Supports, such as arts-based programs, are important sources of emotional well-being, particularly in youth shelters and should be promoted rather than removed as a means of making people less comfortable.
    • Some consultants work by comparing community outcomes, without critical regard to how those communities may be different and consequently require individualized assessments.

 

Contemporary housing and homelessness policies reflect the socio-political desire to change our past approaches, but in order to be effective they must be critically thought through and carefully executed. Bringing people together, whether as part of the Advisory Committee on Homelessness (2018) or through the National Conference on Ending Homelessness (Paradis, 2016), reflects positive community-building initiatives that are occurring within the homelessness sector, as Dr. Nick Falvo explains below. However, even with the increased collaborative mindsets, Dr. Sean Kidd reminds us that we are still seeing homelessness fall through interdepartmental government cracks. 

 

Dr. Nick Falvo: What is happening with housing and homelessness policy today?

In this video, Dr. Nick Falvo discusses the large community of people working together to end homelessness in Canada. He points to the annual “National Conference on Ending Homelessness” held every fall as one example, in which 1500 service providers, non-profit leaders, researchers, and people with lived experience come together. While Dr. Falvo notes it is bad that homelessness still exists as an issue to be addressed, he is optimistic about this sector’s increased ability to manage resources, gather data, connect outcomes to funding, and communicate key messages to the media. This video is 1:39 in length and has closed captions available in English.

Key Takeaways – Dr. Nick Falvo: What is happening with housing and homelessness policy today?

  1. There is a large community of people working to end homelessness in Canada.
    • The “National Conference on Ending Homelessness” is held annually in a different location across Canada every fall. Nearly 1500 people attend, including service providers, non-profit leaders, researchers, and people with lived experience.
    • It is bad that we have homelessness as an issue still to address, but it is good that we have a community of individuals working together.
    • This large sector of people has become better at managing resources, gathering data, tying outcomes to funding, and communicating with the media.

 

Dr. Sean Kidd: Homelessness as an issue that falls through government cracks

In this video, Dr. Sean Kidd reflects on how Canadian governments operate in a way that creates barriers to addressing homelessness. He notes that the turnover of political parties and agendas, siloing between Ministries and levels of government, and the way decisions are made is not inline with addressing homelessness. Dr. Kidd argues that we need to find a way of restructuring our government so issues like homelessness do not fall between departmental, governmental level, and party agenda cracks. This would require a consensus and putting policy in place that could not be dismantled with changing administrations. He notes that some organizations, like “Making the Shift” and the “Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness” have begun undertaking this kind of systems-level coordination. Dr. Kidd concludes that the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the interconnected nature of our society and that we must recognize how issues like housing vulnerability and social isolation impact our communities, families, and ourselves. He argues that we must reject an “us and them” mentality, but rather collectively recognize that “this is us,” and that we are all facing these issues together. This video is 3:48 in length and has closed captions available in English.

Key Takeaways – Dr. Sean Kidd: Homelessness as an issue that falls through government cracks

  1. The Canadian government system, like many other countries, is organized in a way that creates ongoing challenges to ending homelessness.
    • These challenges include the regular turnover of political parties and agendas every few years. Homelessness remains an issue regardless of which party is in power.
    • Homelessness is one of several issues (such as climate change) that does not reside within one specific department or portfolio, and it affects all levels of government.
    • Government Ministries tend to operate in silos (i.e. as distinct agents from one another). They make decisions and distribute money in a way that is not inline with addressing homelessness.
  2. We need to look at structuring government so issues like homelessness do not fall between department, governmental level, and party agenda cracks. This would require a consensus and putting policy in place that could not be dismantled with changing administrations.
    • There are organizations currently trying to undertake this systems-coordination work, such as “Making the Shift,” “A Way Home Canada,” and the “Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness.”
  3. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the idea of interdependencies and how close we are to one another, perhaps without even realizing.
    • In the neighbourhoods where we live, and even in our own families, there are people struggling with marginal housing, social isolation, and other vulnerabilities. We do not need to look too far in our lives to find people who have experienced struggles.
    • We need to be mindful of not creating an “us and them” mentality, but rather remember that this is us – our society, family, and friends – and that we need to collectively think about how we are in this together.
      • If we only think about helping people as a form of charity, or as helping people other than those we care about, we will always be stuck with the “us and them” mentality.

 

It is important as you are learning about the new initiatives occurring in Canada, and the challenges that accompany them, that you also remember the fundamental lesson that when we talk about homelessness, we are talking about something that happens to people. This means that while access to housing is key, we have to also remember the principles of Housing First that tell us having choice and access to supports are fundamental. Dr. Jeff Karabanow explains why there is a need for financial supports to help people as they become stabilized in housing.  

 

Dr. Jeff Karabanow: The need for guaranteed income supports

In this video, Dr. Jeff Karabanow discusses the idea of basic income supports. He argues that there has been a political movement over the past 40 to 50 years, exploring the concept that providing basic income allows people a foundation to heal from traumatic experiences and return to participation in civil society. Dr. Karabanow notes that the Canada Emergency Response Benefit [CERB] given during COVID-19 demonstrated the safety and security benefits that basic income can provide. This video is 1:42 in length and has closed captions available in English.

Key Takeaways – Dr. Jeff Karabanow: The need for guaranteed income supports

  1. There has been a political movement over the past 40 to 50 years exploring the idea of providing people with a basic income.
  2. A basic income provides people with core support so they can focus on healing from traumatic experiences and returning to participation in civil society.
  3. The Canada Emergency Response Benefit [CERB] that was provided during the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrated the safety and security benefits a basic income foundation can offer.

 

Quote Source

What do you think?

human head with light bulb as brain graphicThe lack of affordable housing has been an ongoing problem in Canada, dating back to the federal government’s decision to stop funding social housing in the 1980s and 1990s. At the same time, the right to housing declaration included in the National Housing Strategy Act means that the government has a duty to ensure Canadians have access to good quality affordable housing. What are some specific measures you think the government could take to increase affordable housing and reduce barriers to accessing it? 

With rapidly increasing housing prices, we are witnessing an equally problematic rise in eviction practices that push people out of their housing so that it can be rented to someone else at a higher rate. Dr. Naomi Nichols introduces the concept of ‘renovictions’ which is explored further in the CBC News video that follows. 

 

Dr. Naomi Nichols: The price of housing and rise of evictions

In this video Dr. Naomi Nichols argues that in Canada we have experienced a rapid increase in the cost of private property within the housing market, leading to an increase in rent as well. Consequently, some renters have been pushed out of their housing, through the use of renovictions. She concludes that we as a society have not considered the negative effects of these raising prices on individuals who are unable to participate in the housing market and do not benefit from private property ownership. This video is 1:00 in length and has closed captions available in English.

Key Takeaways – Dr. Naomi Nichols: The price of housing and rise of evictions

  1. Recent rapid increases in the cost of private property within the housing market have led to rent increases as well.
  2. Some renters are being pushed out of their housing through the use of renoviction processes.
  3. Alongside the increase in the cost of housing, we as a society have not considered the effects on individuals who are unable to participate in the housing market and do not benefit from private property ownership.

 

Illegal and underhanded eviction practices have the most detrimental impact on people who lack the resources to advocate for themselves. For instance, people who use drugs commonly experience housing vulnerability. In one study conducted in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, participants who used drugs were found to have high rates of unlawful evictions resulting in homelessness, without support of tenancy laws and dispute resolution mechanisms (Fleming et al., 2019). The authors of this study argue that policy reforms are needed to address the high rates of these unlawful evictions, in order to increase these individuals’ housing security (Fleming et al., 2019).

 

Canada has made great progress towards increasing access to housing and decreasing homelessness, but the right to housing is not truly realized until every person has safe, secure, and affordable housing. We conclude this section with a summary from Dr. John Ecker, in which he highlights many of the key points that have emerged.

 

Dr. John Ecker: Contemporary housing policies

In this video, Dr. John Ecker discusses the 2017 National Housing Strategy as a hopeful recommitment to building affordable housing in Canada, by recognizing the need for stronger federal investments and partnership-building between the federal and provincial / territorial governments. He cites the work of Professor David Hulchanski, who states that Federal housing policy has traditionally focused on private home ownership, to the neglect of those who cannot afford to purchase it. Dr. Ecker identifies current challenges with policies that fail to limit the actions of landlords, such as around raising rents and eviction practices. He also discusses inclusionary zoning as one policy that has the potential to increase housing stock, when used equitably to designate a percentage of new developments as affordable housing. Here he refers to the Canadian Housing and Mortgage Corporation’s definition of spending less than 30% on housing as the benchmark for affordability. Dr. Ecker concludes by arguing the need to increase minimum wage and social assistance rates, to correspond with the increased costs of housing. This video is 7:21 in length and has closed captions available in English.

Key Takeaways – Dr. John Ecker: Contemporary housing policies

  1. In 2017 the federal government released the National Housing Strategy, which was a hopeful recommitment to building affordable housing in Canada.
    • There is debate about whether this approach goes far enough.
    • The National Housing Strategy is an acknowledgment and recognition from the federal government that there must be stronger investments federally and more partnership-building with the provinces and territories, such as around portable housing benefits.
  2. The work of Professor David Hulchanski, from the University of Toronto, shows that the role of federal housing policy is largely focused on private market home ownership, which neglects the needs of people who cannot afford to purchase housing.
  3. Policies that fail to place restrictions on landlords can be damaging, such as allowing them to raise rents without limits and/or evict someone based on reclaiming space for domestic use but then re-renting it at a higher price.
  4. Inclusionary zoning policies can help increase available housing stock, by requiring new housing builders to designate a certain percentage as affordable housing.
  5. The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation [CMHC] has guidelines to help define housing affordability.
    • A person should not spend more than 30% of their income on housing. If they do, they are considered vulnerably housed.
    • A person who spends more than 50% of their income on housing are in extreme or severe housing need.
  6. Current social assistance and minimum wage rates are not keeping up with the increased costs of housing.
    • In order to pay for even modest housing, many people are currently working long hours and/or multiple jobs.
    • There have been some past efforts to increase minimum wages and provide a guaranteed basic income, but governmental turnovers have interfered with long-term implementations.

 

In this section, we examined the question, “What is happening with housing and homelessness policy today?” We began with the federal government’s return to building affordable housing in 2017, with the announcement of the National Housing Strategy, which was followed shortly thereafter by the 2018 National Homelessness Strategy, and the 2019 National Housing Strategy Act. These initiatives represent important steps forward in Canada’s efforts to address homelessness but are still in the early stages of implementation. Most notably, this time period reflects a shift towards viewing affordable, safe, and secure housing as a basic human right that experiencing homelessness violates.

 

While it is positive that the Federal government has renewed its commitment to providing affordable housing, it is imperative that the public continue to hold elected officials responsible for meeting their outlined objectives. Collaborative efforts, such as advisory committees and national conferences are key to working together, but we must also attend to the misalignments that can occur if homelessness is not made a priority for all governmental ministries. We concluded this section by considering the additional supports that are needed, such as guaranteed income and eviction protections, to ensure people are able not only to get housing but to keep it long-term.

Podcast: What is happening with housing and homelessness policy today? (36:45)

Click the link below to listen to all of the researchers answer the question “What is happening with housing and homelessness policy today?” in audio format on our podcast!

 

 

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Understanding Homelessness in Canada Copyright © 2022 by Kristy Buccieri, James Davy, Cyndi Gilmer, and Nicole Whitmore is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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