Housing is a Human Right: A Reflection on the Housing Crisis in Canada
“Housing is a human right — it is more than an aspiration, it is an obligation. The human right to housing is an obligation defined in the international treaties Canada has signed and ratified. With the National Housing Strategy Act, the human right to housing is now enshrined in Canadian law. ”
Over the past several months, more and more people have added their voices to the call for action to address the housing crisis in Canada. From unreasonable rent increases, to decreases in standard of living and lack of community resources, to the growing number of encampments and the human rights violations happening within them.
It is estimated that up to 300,000 people will experience homelessness in Canada this year. We face a critical point in meeting the basic needs of the population and addressing this disaster for what it is.
Speaking about the issue of encampments and correlating human rights violations which was part of the 2021-2022 report launched by the Office of the Federal Housing Advocate, Marie-Josée Houle, COVID-19 was a major catalyst for the current state of encampment issues:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, shelter spaces decreased, indoor congregate settings became increasingly unsafe, and people lost their livelihoods. This has led to a rise in homeless encampments across the country. Many people had little choice but to turn to living in tents or informal shelters to survive. A number of people have been harmed and died as a result of exposure, fire, overdose, and other threats to life and safety. Residents also face harassment and violence from state and non-state actors. These conditions amount to violations of fundamental human rights including the human right to housing. (Housing is a Human Right: The Office of the Federal Housing Advocate's 2021-2022 Annual Report to the Minister; page 7)
It is well documented that Indigenous people across Canada are disproportionately impacted by social issues including poverty, food insecurity, discrimination, imprisonment, and inadequate housing. There are many others disproportionately affected - newcomers, refugees and temporary residents, children and youth, folks living on fixed incomes and/or with a disability, and the 2SQTLGBIA+ community.
In collaboration with RaricaNow! and CANAVUA, JHC hosted a housing gathering in September 2023 where community members, non-profit, and frontline workers came together to hear from those with lived experience with housing insecurity. Many in Canada have a glossed-over image when they think of a Newcomer arriving in Canada. That image might portray a welcoming party, giving available resources, funding, and helping them get settled into secure housing and fed. However, this is not the case for many. A refugee at this gathering spoke of how, upon arriving in Canada, they had no knowledge or capacity to navigate and access available resources. They resorted to sleeping on the streets on their first night here in Edmonton. In shelter spaces, community members described facing harassment and discrimination, poor hygiene, and often struggled to ensure they got back to shelters in time to secure a bed whilst using the daytime hours to seek out available resources to become better situated; all while navigating a new land, new culture, and the enduring trauma and mental health challenges that resulted from the experiences that led them to flee to Canada.
Others have reported how inflation has driven up the cost of basic needs such as food, water, heat and shelter, making it difficult for those on fixed or low incomes to access affordable housing. As inflation rose, more and more people who had barely recovered from struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic, suddenly saw huge increases in the costs of their basic needs.
“Housing programs and support services for people experiencing homelessness are stretched to a breaking point. The risk of contracting COVID-19 in a shelter has made it extremely difficult for people experiencing homelessness — many have resorted to finding shelter elsewhere, including in encampments.” (Driving change: The Federal Housing Advocate's message, June 20, 2022)
In the report released on February 13, 2024, Marie-Josée Houle stated the expansion of homeless encampments across the country is a national human rights crisis that requires immediate action and co-ordination involving all levels of government. Tent encampments, the report says, are the result of Canada’s “persistent failure” to protect people’s right to housing, which the federal government officially recognized in 2019.
“Homeless encampments are a physical manifestation of exactly how broken our housing and homelessness system is across the country,” she said. “The immediate thing is for governments to acknowledge that there is a housing crisis that they need to address. And the solution is housing, adequate housing, which is different for every single person.”
The importance of dignity and dignified engagement and solutions was at the forefront in the recent Chancellor’s Forum hosted on February 22, 2024 at the University of Alberta, an initiative of the University of Alberta Senate. The Chancellor’s Forum on Sheltering the Truth: A University Forum on Houselessness and Solutions, featured panelists and community partners, including:
The discussions focused on encampment and shelter safety, community members choosing incarceration as a temporary refuge, dignified and trauma-informed engagement, awareness and recognizing the colonial and oppressive impact of the child welfare system, residential schools and the Sixties Scoop. One unsurprising statistic that was shared during the forum was around a survey done with 40 people who lived in encampments. They were asked to rate on a scale of 1-10, 1 being the lowest, how safe they felt going to a shelter. The average of the 40 respondents was 1.7/10.
In 2023, 301 people died on the streets of Edmonton, mainly in public spaces - parks, benches, behind an alley, in bus stops, places that folks often travel but where these folks were completely ignored, overlooked, invisible.
Should you wish to rewatch or share the event, a recording will be available at uab.ca/CForum.
The John Humphrey Centre wishes to thank Madame Houle for attending the Ignite Change 2023 Human Rights Convention, which commemorated the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and for speaking on the housing crisis on Day 8 of the Convention, which focused on the theme of “Dignity in Poverty - Building a Just Future”. During her address, Madame Houle shared what she learned from listening to those with lived experience, frontline workers and advocates nation-wide:
None of these people are short on willpower, or desire, or dreams of their own or dreams for their children. What they are short on are the equal opportunities, supports and circumstances that society automatically affords others, simply as a birthright…you might call that a great lottery of birth. But what this means is we need a shift in our culture, so that when we talk about people who are unhoused and people living in poverty, we’re not talking in terms of individual failure, we’re talking about terms of systemic failure. And likewise, when we talk about solutions, we need to shift away from individual solutions and think more in terms of systemic solutions and systemic changes. And while culture change and awareness is a huge part of it, we need our laws to lead the way and to affirm these rights in explicit terms…we need new ground added to the Canadian Human Rights Act, that protects people from discrimination based on social condition. Socioeconomic rights, like housing rights, need to be enshrined in domestic Canadian law. NOW. (December 8, 2023, Ignite Change 2023 Convention Keynote Speech)
In the closing of her keynote address at the Ignite Change Convention, Madame Houle outlined calls to action that would drive forward these systemic solutions to change, the need to continue to listen to and amplify the voices of those with lived experience, and honouring the inherent right to live peacefully with security and dignity:
As we mark the 75th Anniversary and today’s theme of Dignity, Poverty, and Building a Just Future, we need to hold close to the image of those individuals in the smallest corners of Canada, unseen by most passersby. Together, as advocates, we need to keep making sure the voices of the voiceless are heard at the highest levels of government. Because at the end of the day, these people want the very things that we all want as human beings - a life of dignity, security, and autonomy to make for ourselves, the life of our choosing. (December 8, 2023, Ignite Change 2023 Convention Keynote Speech)
“We know that housing is more than just four walls and a roof. It is essential for living with dignity. It provides peace and security. The right to housing is connected to countless other fundamental human rights.”