Reclaiming the National Housing Strategy
In 2019, the National Housing Strategy Act cemented Canada’s commitment to implement housing as a fundamental human right throughout its programs, policies, and budgetary decisions. This means that our federal government must use a “maximum of its available resources” and “all appropriate means” to ensure that every persons across the country has access to safe, adequate, and affordable housing that meets their needs.
Yet in the 3 years this Act has been in place, the Canadian government has not revised its National Housing Strategy—which holds all its housing policies—to comply with these human rights obligations and has been failing to uphold housing as a human right for far too many people.
In fact, the housing crisis has only gotten worse across Canada, but especially for Indigenous peoples and disadvantaged communities such as racialized, 2SLGBTQAI+, low-income, and new migrant households, people with disabilities, rural and remote communities, and particularly women and gender-diverse people within all these groups.
This needs to change. It’s time we reclaim #OurHousingStrategy.
TAKE ACTION
The National Housing Strategy urgently needs to be revised with a human rights-based lens.
Add your name to send a letter to:
- The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau
- The Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, Ahmed Hussen
- The Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland
- The Federal Standing Committee on Finance
- The Federal Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities
- MP and Housing Critic, Jenny Kwan (New Democratic Party)
- MP and Housing Critic, Mike Morris (Green Party)
- MP and Housing Critic, Denis Trudel (Bloc Québécois)
- Your local MP