International Human Rights & The right to housing in Canada
Canada has committed to respect, protect, and fulfill housing as a fundamental human right under international human rights law. NRHN works to ensure these commitments are implemented right here at home.
Canada can end homelessness and address core housing need. But to do that, the federal government has to rework its policy to be genuinely rights-based. We use the power of United Nations human rights processes as a tool to convince the federal government to make decisions that meet the needs of thousands in this country who are struggling to keep or find a home.
Housing is a Human Right in Canada
The human right to housing is recognized under international human rights law. This is specifically articulated under the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), which Canada has ratified (i.e., signed on to). This means that everyone in Canada has a right to housing that is safe, adequate, affordable, and accessible, and that governments have a responsibility to fully realize this right.
International treaties that Canada has signed onto should guide how governments design laws, policies, and programs. This includes taking concrete action to prevent and end homelessness, address systemic inequality, and ensure that people can live in dignity.
The Reality & Canada’s Obligations
In Canada, there remains a significant gap between the federal government’s international commitments to ending homelessness and what is implemented in practice. Despite clear instructions from the United Nations review bodies, Canada has continued to interpret their obligations under international human rights law as simply avoiding harm.This is not the case.
By signing on to these international treaties, Canada has agreed to implement “positive measures” to address systemic issues like homelessness—which means that under international human rights law, the Government of Canada must take proactive steps to protect and uphold human rights in practice.
In the housing and homelessness context, this means:
- Outlining concrete goals and timelines to end homelessness in the shortest amount of time possible
- Prioritizing those in greatest housing need
- Using the maximum of available resources
- Implementing recommendations from UN human rights bodies
- Ensuring people experiencing homelessness have access to effective remedies when their rights are violated
NRHN’s Role & The Right to Housing
The National Right to Housing Network (NRHN) works to advance the right to housing in Canada by leveraging these international human rights systems and holding governments accountable to their commitments.
Our work includes:
- Engaging with UN human rights bodies: Submitting reports under the ICESCR and other treaties, and participating in international reviews of Canada so that the UN knows the realities of Canada’s housing crisis
- Centering lived experience: Amplifying the voices of people with lived or living experiences of homelessness in international processes
- Advocating for implementation: Calling on governments to act on recommendations by the international community and to close the gap between commitments and action
- Bridging international and domestic systems: Connecting global human rights standards to Canadian laws, policies, and accountability mechanisms (like the Federal Housing Advocate and Review Panels)
- Working with government actors: Translating international human rights laws and UN recommendations into right to housing policy practice (for example, in the upcoming National Housing Strategy)
Our Impact
NRHN Continues to bridge the gap between Canada’s international human rights commitments and the work at home to genuinely address homelessness, housing need, and related crisis in Canada. Read some of our ongoing work below:
The Waterloo Case: Do Governments have a Legal Responsibility to Address Homelessness?
PRESS RELEASE: UN Committee Rejects Canada’s Position, Calls for Action on Preventable Deaths
PRESS RELEASE: Canada Challenged at the United Nations in Geneva
The Heegsma Case: What was at Stake & the Arguments the Courts Didn’t Hear
Submission to Canada’s 7th Review Under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
FAQ
What international treaties have Canada signed on to?
Canada has committed to multiple international human rights treaties that protect the right to housing and related rights, including:
- The International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)
- The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
- United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
- The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
- The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
- The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
- Other treaties addressing discrimination, disability, and Indigenous rights
