The Canadian authorities have recognized housing as a human right. And as if prodded by the fact that more Canadians are finding themselves in the struggle, not against homelessness, some provinces are already following suit.
Marie-Josee Houle, a federal housing advocate, urged all provinces to adopt legislation recognizing housing as a human right in her report on homeless encampments released on February 13. Appointed to that role in 2022, she is expected to monitor Canada’s progress in realizing its declaration that shelter is a fundamental right.
When she was interviewed, Houle wondered if provinces don’t understand what it would mean to make it explicit that they viewed housing as a human right. But whether they do so or not, they have still signed an agreement under the National Housing Strategy to adopt a “human rights-based approach to housing. I’m not sure that all provinces have this in their collective memory.”
The approach includes listening to people without homes and focusing on getting them housing that meets their needs rather than deciding what’s best for homeless people without their input and forcing them into stopgap measures, such as shelters they don’t want to live in.”
It also includes providing heat, electricity and bathrooms for people living in homeless encampments if adequate housing is not available. Essentially, it’s a commitment to work from the recognition that homelessness is a systemic issue and people are homeless because governments of all levels have failed them, she added.
She told the provinces, “We need all players at the table.”
Dale Whitmore, the policy director of the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights, said provinces could take a simple first step toward recognizing and upholding housing as a human right by adding a clause to their tenancy acts stating that eviction can only be used as an absolute last reason.
He added that provinces must recognize and protect the human right to housing through legislation. The rules must do both, he added, noting that while P.E.I.’s Tenancy Act recognizes the right, it does nothing to uphold it.
Source: The Canadian Press
