Across Canada, the number of people who rent their homes is growing rapidly, and the challenges they face in their homes are growing too. Many renters face excessive rent increases that leave them vulnerable to “economic eviction.” Many have so few housing options available to them that they must live in inadequate homes that are inaccessible or poorly maintained where they present dangers to their health and safety. Many even face discriminatory and illegal behaviour from some landlords, with no effective recourse available to them to protect themselves and their rights.
These are common issues that renters across Canada are facing every day. Right now, laws that apply to renters in Canada are unequal across the country, and not all renters enjoy the same basic legal protections that would allow them to live securely in their homes. This is not acceptable and it has to change.
Housing is a human right, and it’s time for our governments to acknowledge that renters, like everyone else, need homes that are adequate and secure.
Contact your local representatives and tell them that renters need secure homes so that:
They will not face discrimination when applying for housing or while renting, and there is effective recourse available if they do.
They will be able to remain in their homes and will not face “economic eviction” due to excessive rent increases at a landlord’s whim.
Their home will be accessible, well-maintained and in a state of good repair.
They will be able to access the support and help they need in order to challenge unfair or illegal behaviour on the part of landlords.
All renters – no matter where they live – need basic legal protections so they can live in secure and adequate homes.
The Canadian Centre for Housing Rights’ (CCHR) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Annie Hodgins as CCHR’s next Executive Director.
Following a comprehensive national search, the Board has selected Annie to continue her trajectory with the organization in this leadership capacity, a role she has held in an acting position since July 2022.
Annie is a seasoned non-profit leader with expertise in housing law and policy, fund development, operations and strategic management, knowledge mobilization, capacity-building, public engagement, and advocacy. Over nearly a decade, she has served the organization in several roles including in executive leadership, operations, tenant services and public legal education. Most recently, Annie worked alongside the previous Executive Director to expand the organization’s work across Canada, to respond to the growing housing challenges facing people and communities. As a result, the organization is working to advance systemic change on a larger scale than ever before, with expanded services, a renewed focus on community-relevant and evidence-based policy advocacy, a new research department, and a thriving law reform practice.
Outside of her role at CCHR, Annie serves as the co-chair of the City of Toronto’s Housing and Homelessness Services Network, as a member of Toronto City Council’s Tenant Advisory Committee, and as a board member at All Saints Church and Community Centre.
“Annie is a passionate and dedicated leader, with a strong commitment to advancing the right to housing for all Canadians. The Board congratulates Annie on this appointment, and thanks her for her years of service to the organization. Through Annie’s leadership, we know the organization will continue rising to meet the challenges that lay ahead and to drive the important work of the organization until everyone has a safe and secure place to call home.”
CCHR Board Co-Chairs
About Annie Hodgins
Annie has worked with communities, advocates and governments to advance the right to housing in Canada for a decade. In her time at CCHR she has held various roles including Deputy Executive Director, Manager of Operations and Strategic Initiatives, and Manager of CCHR’s Tenant Services Program. Annie is a skilled writer and public speaker with expertise in housing law and policy, fund development, operations, strategic management, knowledge mobilization and capacity building. Before joining CCHR in 2013, she worked in fund development and as a Researcher and Office Manager for the Institute on Governance, supporting the work of Vice President of the Toronto office. Annie has a Bachelor’s degree in History and English from the University of Toronto and a Master’s degree in History from York University. She also holds certificates in Strategy and Competitive Advantage from the Rotman School of Management, and Non-Profit Leadership from the University of Toronto. She is involved in several committees and boards, including as the co-chair of the City of Toronto’s Housing and Homelessness Services Network, as a member of Toronto City Council’s Tenant Advisory Committee, and as a board member at All Saints Church and Community Centre.
Across Canada, renters are increasingly struggling to find affordable housing and to remain in their homes. Eviction rates in Canada are shockingly high, with 7% of Canadian households reporting that they have been evicted at some point in their lives. Many people who are evicted from their homes may not find another place to live, and every year more than 235,000 people in Canada experience homelessness. This does not capture the experiences of hidden homelessness like individuals couch surfing or living in overcrowded conditions with their family and friends.
The human right to housing is an important framework for opposing unnecessary evictions and preventing the growing experiences of homelessness. Under Canada’s National Housing Strategy Act (NHSA) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), Canada is obligated to respect, protect, and fulfill the right to housing. The obligation to respect the right to housing prohibits Canadian government bodies, such as residential tenancies tribunals in different provinces, from evicting households from their homes, except when an eviction is necessary as a last resort.
Specifically, eviction is only permitted under international human rights law if all the following are true:
The eviction must have a legitimate objective.
Eviction must be necessary to achieve the objective, and there must be no reasonable alternative.
The consequences of eviction must be proportionate to the objective.
This is because international law recognizes that, like other human rights, adequate housing is fundamental to human dignity. It can only be restricted in circumstances where the restriction is justified in a free and democratic society.
Unfortunately, all too often Canadian tribunals order evictions in violation of these basic principles. For example:
Households that owe rent can be evicted with no consideration of whether the eviction is necessary. In many cases, households would have been able to repay their arrears on a repayment plan, if given the chance.
Households can be evicted with no consideration of whether the eviction is proportionate. Evictions can be ordered for minor and even trivial reasons, even where the impact on the household losing their home will be severe.
In many provinces, households can be evicted simply because their lease is up, even if the eviction will serve no purpose whatsoever.
To further complicate the matter, Canada’s eviction laws vary wildly between provinces. Some provincial laws allow tribunal adjudicators to consider the circumstances and decide whether eviction would be fair, so that it would at least be possible for the tribunal to respect the right to housing. Other provincial laws give adjudicators no choice but to order evictions, making it impossible for them to respect the right to housing. These varying laws have created uneven protections for renters across the country, leaving many vulnerable to losing their homes without the chance to present their circumstances and the devastating impact that an eviction may have on their lives.
How do we solve this issue?
To ensure that renters in Canada have a fair chance to live in their homes and contribute meaningfully to their communities and the economy, we need a shift in our approach to eviction. To meet Canada’s obligation to respect the right to housing, we recommend that each province and territory must:
Amend its residential tenancies laws to provide that eviction can only be ordered if it serves a legitimate objective, is necessary to achieve that objective, and is proportionate to the objective.
Train tribunal adjudicators to respect the right to housing in their decisions.
Ensure that tenants have access to eviction alternatives, such as rent banks to help pay their rent rather than losing their home if they were unable to pay their rent in full.
Ensure that tenants have full, fair access to legal advice and to tribunal proceedings so that tribunals have all the information before them to determine whether an eviction is truly necessary.
Evictions can be devastating for those who experience them. In too many instances, evictions can lead to experiences of homelessness. It is our duty as a democratic society to protect everyone, irrespective of their income or circumstances, to live with dignity and in secure homes.
Across Canada, renters are increasingly at risk of housing insecurity. Many are facing “economic eviction” due to excessive rent increases, others are forced to live in over-crowded, poorly-maintained, or inaccessible homes because it is the only housing they can afford, and some also face discrimination and other illegal behaviour from landlords.
This winter, through our Secure Homes for Renters campaign, CCHR is calling on the federal government to ensure that there are basic legal standards to protect renters across Canada, and hundreds of Canadians have joined us in this call.
We know there is a great need for this work, because renters across the country tell us so every day. Every year, we hear from hundreds of renters about the struggles they are facing in their housing, and these challenges only continue to grow. Our team is working to respond to these challenges by advancing change at a systemic level, and also by helping renters assert their rights and avoid eviction on the ground.
“A group of four tenants reached out to us back in August. Their landlord was insisting they had to be out because of the sale of the property. He was trying to shame them and squeeze them into leaving,” recounts Tim Heneghan, one of CCHR’s staff lawyers. “Any time the landlord is trying to apply pressure, our job is to minimize that pressure.”
This past year, nearly 1,700 renters contacted CCHR’s services program for assistance, which is almost 20% higher than last year, and last month, demand for our services reached an all-time high. Our team provides legal information, guided referrals, connections to pro bono legal help, and legal advice and representation to people during what is often a frightening time in their lives.
CCHR lawyer Ademofe Oye-Adeniran recounts working with a renter who was facing eviction for reasons beyond his control. If this renter were evicted, not only would he lose his home, the city would likely also lose another affordable unit. “Their rent was $700 for a bachelor unit, which was quite affordable for Toronto, and I was able to take that on,” says Oye-Adeniran. She represented the renter in front of the Landlord and Tenant Board, and ultimately helped to prevent him from being evicted.
In addition to our services, CCHR works to empower communities by delivering training and building leadership and advocacy skills among renters in communities across Ontario, and in cities like Halifax, Winnipeg and Calgary. This year, our training programs reached over 1,100 renters, service providers and housing providers.
“Last week, tenants who were having an argument with their landlord asked us to come into their building to present a training on housing rights basics,” says Jessica Long, CCHR Senior Program Lawyer. “We provide about two trainings per week, including public presentations at libraries, to students at universities, and to shelter residents.”
Meaningful engagement is key to realizing the right to housing and advancing secure homes for renters, and it is foundational to our approach. “Any time you are going through something like evictions or issues in your housing situation, and you feel like David and your landlord feels like Goliath, you just have to talk to people,” says Heneghan, reflecting on his experience supporting renters. “The ones who succeed are the ones who look to community, and we’ve got a big part to play there, but just one part of a larger whole.”
As we continue working toward ensuring that all renters have secure homes, please consider supporting our work by making a donation this holiday season. Your support helps us continue to provide direct and practical help to renters facing eviction and housing insecurity right now, as we continue to push for better legal protections for renters across Canada over the longer term.
Please donate today.
Toronto, ON – November 30, 2022 – A new report released by the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR) finds that newcomers and refugees face heightened discrimination when they are searching to secure rental housing in Toronto. CCHR’s latest report measures the extent of discrimination faced by newcomers to Toronto and the impact of race and gender on the degree of differential treatment.
The audit employed a paired testing method to measure discrimination when newcomers and refugees are in search of rental housing. The research team contacted over 1,300 rental listings in Toronto and found that both men and women face discrimination when disclosing newcomer status to housing providers. Newcomers on average face 11 times as much discrimination as non-newcomers when searching to secure a rental home. The study also found that racialized newcomers experienced more discrimination compared to non-racialized newcomers when calling to inquire about a rental listing: female newcomer callers experienced a 62% increase in discrimination and male newcomer callers experienced a 267% increase in discrimination, when they had accents that presented as racialized.
“Toronto’s out-of-control rents combined with a limited and diminishing supply of affordable housing is a dreadful rental market for newcomers to navigate and successfully secure housing in,” says Bahar Shadpour, the Director of Policy and Communications at CCHR. “Landlords have become very selective about who they rent to and often have stringent requests and application criteria for newcomers.”
The audit also found that family status compounded the experience of discrimination. Women who disclosed that they have a child faced a high degree of discrimination. Racialized newcomer women faced a 563% increase in discrimination when they disclosed the presence of a child compared to racialized newcomer women who did not disclose the presence of a child.
“To prevent discrimination and increase access to housing, governments must enforce our human rights protections and adopt policy solutions that meet the unique housing needs of newcomers and refugees,” says Shadpour.
On October 25, Ontario’s provincial government tabled Bill 23 under its More Homes Built Faster plan. The bill proposes significant reforms to Ontario’s Planning Act, the Municipal Act, and the City of Toronto Act, among other legislation.
According to Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark, the measures in Bill 23 will contribute to the province’s plan to build 1.5 million homes by 2031. The broad range of initiatives rolled into the bill include tax incentives and measures to deregulate and streamline development and planning processes. The Ontario government suggests that these measures will incentivize private market investment in housing, in turn increasing the supply of housing, including rental housing. As currently articulated however, the bill falls short in including specific initiatives that would effectively incentivize the construction of affordable rental housing, and in particular “deeply affordable” rental housing – housing that is within reach for households living on lower or fixed incomes. Bill 23 also does not commit the Ontario government to any direct investment in the creation of deeply affordable public and non-profit housing.
The Ontario Government has stated that the objective of the More Homes Built Faster plan – to be legislated through Bill 23 – is to provide more “attainable housing options” for Ontarians in light of housing supply shortfalls. Recently released census data from 2021 provides some insight into who in Ontario needs housing, and what type of housing they need. The data shows that around one third of Ontario households are renters, and almost 33% of these renters pay unaffordable rents, where they are forced to spend more than 30% of their income on housing. Renters are almost twice as likely as homeowners to face affordability challenges. Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of households facing affordability challenges are living on lower incomes, with those living on fixed income facing particularly acute housing affordability challenges.
Below we provide a summary and analysis of some of the key initiatives proposed by Bill 23, with a focus on initiatives intended to impact current and future rental housing supply, reflecting that renter households in Ontario consistently experience the greatest housing need. In this context, increasing access to adequate, affordable and secure rental housing is essential to implementing the right to housing in Canada.
Bill 23 proposes changes to the Municipal Act and the City of Toronto Act that would empower the province to limit or impose conditions on municipalities’ authority to adopt rental replacement policies. These policies regulate the demolition or conversion of rental properties of six units or more. They are currently in place in Toronto and Mississauga, and under consideration in several other municipalities.
Through rental replacement by-laws, municipalities can require developers or landlords to replace rental units impacted by renovation or redevelopment at a similar affordable rent. This is an important policy tool that allows municipalities to maintain the existing stock of affordable rental housing, and in doing so, protect renters from displacement. In 2022 alone, the City of Toronto has ensured the replacement of 907 rental units, including 485 affordable units, using its demolition and conversion by-law. Since 2007, the City of Toronto has ensured the replacement of over 4,000 rental units, protecting Toronto’s affordable rental housing supply.
In its current form, the bill does not propose alternative measures to protect existing rental housing, nor does it propose a new plan to maintain affordable rentals that are at risk of demolition or conversion. The removal of the rental replacement policy and absence of alternative measures is alarming, leaving many renters across Ontario at potential risk of losing their homes and being displaced from their communities.
Imposing standardized Inclusionary Zoning rules
Bill 23 proposes regulatory changes that would establish standardized rules for Inclusionary Zoning (IZ). Municipalities across the province would be required to apply these rules when developing IZ policies in their community. The proposal allows a maximum affordability period of only 25 years and caps the set aside rates (i.e. the proportion of units provided at an affordable rate in a development covered by IZ) at five per cent. It also determines a standardized definition of affordability, with rental affordability set at 80 per cent of average market rent.
The proposed regulatory changes contrast with the current approach that requires municipalities to develop IZ frameworks based on findings from feasibility studies and stakeholder consultations. These independent reports provide localized analyses about how communities can maximize the construction of new affordable units without discouraging development. For example, based on independent feasibility studies and stakeholder consultations, the City of Toronto has adopted an IZ policy that includes targeted set aside rates based on building type and geography, which are set to progressively increase. For condo units, the set aside rates almost always exceed 5% regardless of geography, and progressively increase to higher rates. In addition, the period of affordability in Toronto is set at 99 years, making the City of Toronto’s IZ policy a permanent arrangement.
The Inclusionary Zoning measures proposed in Bill 23 significantly limit municipalities’ ability to develop IZ frameworks based on local needs and economic conditions. More concerningly, the bill threatens to weaken the effectiveness of IZ as a key tool for creating much-needed affordable housing for the many Ontarians struggling to find secure and affordable homes.
Allowing gentle density across neighbourhoods and more density around transit hubs
Bill 23 includes changes to the Planning Act to allow for an increase in housing available across residential neighbourhoods and around transit hubs.
If passed, the bill would permit up to three residential units per lot on most land zoned for residential use, without requiring municipal by-law amendments – this is called “as-of-right” zoning. New units built on these lots would be exempt from development charges and could include basement suites, laneway or garden homes. This could generate more and different kinds of housing, introducing a very gentle form of density in residential neighbourhoods that previously did not allow any form of density.
The Ontario government has framed this approach as an initiative that addresses the “missing middle,” but what density it could achieve would be commensurate with the low end of missing middle style density, when compared with other approaches across the country. For example, the recently-adopted Vancouver Plan allows for “ground oriented missing middle builds,” which include multiplexes and townhouses up to three stories across the city and apartment buildings up to six stories in areas covered by the City’s Secured Rental Policy. A more ambitious missing middle approach for Ontario was recommended by the Ontario Housing Affordability Taskforce, which called for “as-of-right” zoning up to four units and four stories on a single residential lot. The “missing middle” density proposed in Bill 23 does not go far enough to allow the kind of gentle density needed to build more homes faster across the province.
The bill also proposes changes to the Planning Act which would increase “as-of-right” zoning around major transit hubs, in line with planned minimum density targets. Municipalities would have one year to update their zoning by-laws in compliance with new density targets. This would be a positive step in leveraging investments in key infrastructure to create complete and walkable communities.
Reforming development-related charges and curbing municipal housing budgets
Bill 23 proposes changes to the Planning Act, the Development Charges Act and the Conservation Authorities Act that either exempt or reduce development charges and other fees across the spectrum of rental housing construction. Specifically, developers of affordable and inclusionary zoning units and non-profit housing developments would be exempt from municipal development charges, parkland dedication levies and community benefits charges. Developers of other types of market rental housing would benefit from reduced charges, with additional discounts applied to family-sized rental units. According to the provincial government, these measures would decrease the costs associated with the construction of market and non-market rental housing, incentivizing new builds.
At the municipal level, development charges, community benefits charges and parkland dedication levies are key growth funding tools (GFTs), which fund key infrastructure and services needed to support growth. Proposed reductions in development charges and other GFTs could have the secondary effect of reducing the revenues that municipalities generate through these tools to support local communities.
Concerningly, the bill will limit municipalities from funding affordable housing development and services with revenues from development charges. This will reduce the already scare resources available to create new affordable rental housing and fund existing housing programs.
Additionally, under Bill 23, the Government of Ontario has proposed to explore reforms to the property tax assessment methodology for rental housing, with the objective of reducing the tax burden on rental housing providers. Framed as another measure to incentivize the provision of rental housing, this initiative would decrease the revenue generating capacity of property taxes – a core revenue stream for municipalities.
As it is currently articulated, the bill does not propose any measures that could offset revenue losses for municipalities caused by reduced GFTs and property taxes.
Streamlining the Ontario Land Tribunal
Bill 23 proposes several measures to speed up processing of cases at the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT). They include regulations that empower the provincial government to prioritize cases that meet certain criteria (for example, those that may create the most housing); regulations that would empower the Tribunal to dismiss appeals where it deems a party has failed to meet certain conditions; and regulations that impose timelines on various stages of a case. The bill also includes a proposal to limit third parties, including any individuals or groups beyond the developer and municipality, from challenging a project at the OLT. This would eliminate the opportunity for a range of groups, including community groups, environmental groups, and housing advocates, to submit an appeal to the OLT.
Loosening municipal and regional control over the planning process
Several interventions proposed under Bill 23 would loosen municipal controls when it comes to the development of buildings with fewer than 10 units. This includes proposed limitations on the application of site plan control and a reduced role in the planning process for some regional governments, with full responsibility for housing delegated to specified “lower-tier” municipalities.
Key takeaways
Ontario’s new housing bill falls short on proposing solutions that can alleviate the housing needs of low- to moderate-income Ontarians, who are most impacted by the affordable housing crisis. It further removes protections in place that ensure Ontario’s rental housing stock is preserved while restricting municipalities from adopting locally sound Inclusionary Zoning policies and limiting their revenue sources to promote affordable housing initiatives.
Here are some of the key takeaways:
Ontario’s Bill 23 includes a broad range of measures that will impact how and what type of housing is built in the province.
Proposed initiatives that allow new housing options and greater density and reduce development costs for non-profit housing providers may contribute to the creation of diverse and more affordable housing options.
Taken as a whole, measures proposed in the bill significantly constrain options for building new affordable rental housing and seriously jeopardize the affordable housing that exists.
The measures in Bill 23 leave municipalities with fewer policy tools and resources to address housing challenges in their communities, with those in the greatest housing need left worse off.
The latest developments in housing policy from across Canada:
Last month, the Federal Housing Advocate selected financialization of housing as the first systemic issue to undergo a rights review and has since commissioned a series of reports by housing rights experts and academics. The reports received by the Advocate demonstrate the impact of the financialization of housing on rents, evictions, discrimination and worsening living conditions.
The summary report of key findings offers a list of 51 recommendations for all levels of government, including regulating financialized actors, strengthening renter protections, and supporting public and non-profit supply of housing at the provincial level.
Communities and groups across Canada are encouraged to make a submission to the Federal Housing Advocate on this systemic housing issue.
The federal Parliamentary Black Caucus is hosting a pre-budget consultation. Black-led organizations and stakeholders are invited to make a submission to share their priorities for Black Canadians in the federal government’s 2023 budget. Submissions are welcome until November 4, 2022 at 5:00 pm EST.
Renovictions are increasingly becoming an issue in some of Canada’s major cities. Earlier this year, the provincial government of Nova Scotia lifted a temporary ban on renovictions. However, tenants across the province and housing advocates are calling on the government to strengthen protections for renters. The Canadian Centre for Housing Rights’ (CCHR) Director of Policy and Communications, Bahar Shadpour stresses the importance of tracking renovictions across Canada to capture the experience of the communities most impacted.
On October 20, the Nova Scotia government introduced its Housing Supply and Services Act, which repeals and replaces the Housing Act and Housing Nova Scotia Act. The new legislation will take effect on December 1 and is set to modernize the structure and improve the oversight of public housing programs, by centralizing the administration, management, and maintenance of public housing under a new Crown corporation, the Nova Scotia Provincial Housing Agency. Its advisory board answers to the housing minister, and all non-public housing programs will be transferred to the authority of the Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Housing organizations and advocates have raised concerns over the Act, requesting changes that would ensure the Act is rights-based and supports the housing needs of lower income residents in the province. Read the submissions made by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives in Nova Scotia and the Dalhousie Legal Aid Service.
Between January 1 and December 31, 2022, the New Brunswick government has implemented a rent cap, limiting rent increases to 3.8%. It is unclear if the rent cap will be renewed in 2023. Service New Brunswick Minister Mary Wilson argues that rent control deters investments in affordable housing. However, ACORN New Brunswick and the New Brunswick Coalition for Tenant Rights say that removing the rent cap will leave low-income tenants vulnerable to high rent increases and make housing less secure. They are calling for a permanent 2% cap on rent increases to support the needs of renters in the province.
On October 25, Ontario’s provincial government tabled Bill 23, under its “More Homes Built Faster” plan. According to the government, the measures contained in this bill aim to speed up housing construction and will contribute to the province’s plan to build 1.5 million homes by 2031. The package of legislative changes will introduce gentle density across residential neighbourhoods, eliminate or reduce development charges and other fees for affordable, rental and non-profit housing, and reform processes at the Ontario Land Tribunal – amongst other measures.
Diverse stakeholders have voiced concern over initiatives included in the bill. Housing advocates have highlighted that some measures will negatively impact both the current and future supply of affordable rental housing, for example proposed measures that would allow the province to override municipal housing protection by-laws and new rules limiting inclusionary zoning frameworks. Municipalities have argued that the proposed initiatives will also reduce municipal revenue streams that are currently invested in the construction and operation of affordable housing.
We have summarized and analyzed some of the key initiatives proposed by Bill 23, with a focus on initiatives intended to impact current and future rental housing supply, reflecting that renter households in Ontario consistently experience the greatest housing need.
Housing advocates from across Ontario are sending a joint letter to the Government of Ontario to voice serious concern about its proposed housing bill – Bill 23. They are calling on the province to amend its legislation to focus on investing in affordable and deeply affordable housing and protecting households who are most in need of adequate housing. Individuals and organizations are invited to sign-on to this initiative.
On October 24, Ontarians voted in their municipal elections. In Toronto, John Tory secured a third term as Mayor. Tory has said that he regards housing as a top priority This is his first mandate where he can exercise strong-mayor powers, which will allow him to veto certain Council decisions. His proposed 5-step program would promote “missing middle” housing to expand housing options. In Ottawa, Mark Sutcliffe was elected as the new Mayor. He campaigned on a housing plan that promises to supply 1,000 community housing units every year for the next decade. The new Mayor of Waterloo, Dorothy McCabe, made environment and sustainable urban development the key drivers of her campaign, and committed to leveraging municipal land to build more affordable and accessible housing that is well-connected to active transportation, urban infrastructures and green spaces.
Le premier ministre sortant du Québec et chef de la Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), François Legault, a été réélu lors d’une victoire écrasante le 3 octobre. Des défenseurs du droit au logement basés à Montréal ont critiqué les mesures d’austérité de Legault, et ont généralement été déçus par la réponse tiède de la campagne à la crise du logement. La CAQ promet un investissement de 1,8 milliard de dollars pour construire 11 700 logements sociaux et subventionner 7 200 logements supplémentaires par des suppléments au loyer. Cependant, les coalitions de locataires le Front d’action populaire en réaménagement urbain (FRAPRU) et le Regroupement des comités logement et associations de locataires du Québec (RCLALQ) maintiennent qu’il faudrait au moins 50 000 nouveaux logements pour pouvoir offrir des logements abordables aux ménages à revenu faible et moyen. Le 20 octobre, Legault a nommé France-Elaine Duranceau, ancienne agente immobilière et comptable, comme nouvelle ministre responsable de l’Habitation. Cette démarche a été bien accueillie par les associations de locataires et les bailleurs associatifs, la création d’un ministère uniquement dédié au logement était une demande en suspens depuis longtemps.
Incumbent Quebec Premier and Leader of Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ), François Legault, was re-elected in a sweeping victory on October 3. Montreal-based housing advocates have criticized Legault’s austerity measures and have been generally disappointed by the campaign’s lukewarm response to the housing crisis. The CAQ is promising an investment of $1.8 billion to build 11,700 social housing units and subsidize an additional 7,200 units through rent supplements. However, tenant coalitions le Front d’action populaire en réaménagement urbain (FRAPRU) and le Regroupement des comités logement et associations de locataires du Québec (RCLALQ) argue that at least 50,000 new units are needed to provide housing that is affordable to low- to moderate-income households, including the 24,000 households registered on a waiting list for social housing. On October 20, Legault appointed France-Elaine Duranceau, a former realtor and accountant, as the new minister responsible for housing. This move was welcome by tenant organizations and non-profit housing providers, as the creation of a Ministry solely dedicated to housing had been a long-time request of community actors.
En décembre 2021, la Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM) a chargé sa Commission de l’habitation d’élaborer une Politique métropolitaine de l’habitation afin de faire face à la crise du logement dans la région la plus peuplée de la province. Une première ébauche a été présentée en juin et a fait l’objet d’une consultation publique en septembre, recueillant l’appui de plus de 50 intervenants en logement des secteurs communautaire, à but non lucratif, et privé.
La nouvelle politique vise à assurer le logement abordable et à créer une offre suffisante, diversifiée et adaptée à l’évolution des besoins des résidents, et à créer des milieux de vie complets par une densification urbaine stratégique. La CMM prévoit peaufiner la politique en fonction des recommandations des parties prenantes avant son adoption finale à la fin de l’année.
In December 2021, the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM) mandated its Housing Commission to develop a Metropolitan Housing Policy to address the housing crisis in the province’s most populous region. A first draft was presented in June and underwent public consultation in September, garnering support from over 50 housing stakeholders from the community, non-profit, and private sectors.
The new policy seeks to ensure housing affordability, create supply that is sufficient, diverse and adapted to the changing needs of residents, and create complete living environments through strategic urban densification. The CMM plans to refine the policy based on stakeholders’ recommendations before its final adoption at the end of the year.
Advocates in Winnipeg are calling on the next government to address the root causes of homelessness and create more support services for people suffering from addictions. This confirms the findings of a recent poll, showing that the great majority of Winnipeggers are in favour of providing sanctioned encampments and safe consumption sites. During the election campaign, the platforms of candidates running for Mayor and Councillors also reflected the focus on addressing the root causes of poverty.
Advocates and Rally Around Homelessness circulated a petition calling on the City of Regina to commit to ending homelessness. Since promising to rapidly build supportive housing in November 2021, the City has made little progress towards that goal and those experiencing homeless will have to wait longer to find housing. The petition calls for more concrete action and an itemized budget by the end of the year.
On October 1, the Government of Alberta pledged $187 million in funding to address homelessness and strengthen support to people suffering from addictions over the next two years. The announcement confirmed that $124 million will be invested to build “recovery” communities in Edmonton and Calgary, with increased and diversified support services for people fighting addictions, and $63 million will be invested to expand 24/7 winter shelter spaces in priority communities. While the funding targets have been criticized by the opposition for failing to provide permanent shelter solutions, some shelter organizations in downtown Edmonton hope that this initiative stays on course “no matter who wins the next UCP election.”
Residents across British Columbia voted in municipal elections on October 22. Housing and public safety were identified as top priorities by the newly elected mayors in Vancouver, Victoria, Surrey and Kelowna. In Vancouver, the new Mayor Ken Sim’s plan includes an annual investment of $20 million to fund police and mental health services, and a push to create co-op housing and fast-track housing development. The Vancouver Mayor’s ABC party also won the majority of seats at Council.
Statistics Canada’s 2021 Census shows that a third of the Inuit communities of Inuit Nunangat – a traditional territory covering Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, Northern Quebec, and Labrador – still live in inadequate, overcrowded and dangerous housing conditions. The housing situation in these communities has worsened since the last Census in 2016, with an increase of 1.2% of dwellings in need of major repairs in Inuit Nunangat. A study in 2019 found that poor living conditions were at the root of the disproportionately high rates of tuberculosis among Inuit communities. Housing in these communities has been underfunded and neglected. More than $3 billion is needed in the next 10 years to address the housing needs of Inuit Nunangat communities, according to Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, an organization representing Inuit peoples in Canada.
On October 17, the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition launched its annual Poverty and Homelessness Action Week. This year’s campaign focused on healing and building relationships and highlighted the need to address the trauma that people experiencing homelessness face on a daily basis, who are disproportionately First Nations people. The National Director for Campaign 2000 said that while Yukon experiences similar housing issues seen throughout Canada, the territory faces unique challenges related to geographic disparities and services that are spread out and difficult for people to access. Wohlfarth Levins, an advocate with Voices Influencing Change, called on the City of Whitehorse to speed up development processes for affordable housing projects, and called on the City to work with advocates to contribute their expertise toward finding solutions.
In advance of Vancouver’s municipal elections on October 15th, every political party has released a platform on how they intend to address the housing affordability and homelessness crisis.
The 2021 Census data released in September indicates that British Columbia has the highest rate of housing unaffordability in Canada, with more than 1 out of 4 residents living in housing that is unaffordable. These households are spending more than 30% of their before-tax income on housing. Notably, 44.8% of renters in Vancouver’s primary downtown are living in unaffordable homes.
The municipal election comes at a critical moment, with the cost of rental housing in the city out of reach for almost half of Vancouver’s residents, many of whom continue to deal with the economic instability caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the City of Vancouver also adopted a long-term growth plan and land use strategy that aims to address some of the factors contributing to the affordability crisis, with the implementation of the Vancouver Plan policy commitments falling to the incoming City Council.
Two recent polls, conducted in August and September, indicate that tackling the housing affordability crisis is a top priority of Vancouverites in this election. In this context, parties across the political spectrum have signalled that housing will be a priority for their candidates, if elected.
While some of the commitments made in these housing platforms fall under provincial jurisdiction, parties have set a broad range of housing policy priorities. Below we offer a breakdown of some of the common themes and commitments made by parties across the political spectrum. This is not an exhaustive listof all housing commitments made in their platforms. We hope that this summary of the housing commitments made in each platform will help voters make informed decisions as they head to the polls on October 15th.
Currently, multi-family rental units such as multiplexes, townhouses and low-rise apartment buildings are banned in 75% of the Vancouver’s residential land, making these neighbourhoods unaffordable to many residents. Research suggests that exclusionary zoning has historically been used to exclude marginalized groups from affluent neighbourhoods – practices that continue to shape who can access neighbourhoods and services in Vancouver today. Several parties have pledged to undertake zoning reform, with the aim of ending exclusionary zoning and creating more affordable and inclusive neighbourhoods across the city:
Affordable Housing Coalition has committed to undertake up-zoning across the city for townhouses and low rises.
Greens have committed to undertake zoning reform to allow mid-rise apartments and missing middle housing, in all neighbourhoods. They have also promised to expand pre-zoning for affordable, non-market housing and rental-only housing in select areas.
One City and Progress Vancouver have committed to ending the apartment ban, allowing 6-storey rental buildings and 4-storey strata buildings to be built throughout the city.
Vision Vancouver has committed to introduce a motion on city-wide zoning reform that will allow low- and mid-rise housing options across neighbourhoods within 90 days of taking office.
Additionally, the Green Party has committed to strengthen access to affordable rental housing by tying the definition of affordability to household income, rather than markets, and changing the definition of social housing used by the City.
Indigenous housing and advancing reconciliation
The Government of Canada has acknowledged that increasing access to safe and adequate housing for Indigenous people is essential to advancing self-determination and reconciliation. However, 2021 Census data highlights that Indigenous people are almost twice as likely to live in overcrowded housing, compared to non-Indigenous people, and that 16.4% of Indigenous people continue to live in dwellings in need of major repairs. Indigenous people are also overrepresented in the population of those experiencing homelessness in Vancouver. Here are some of the key commitments regarding Indigenous housing:
ABC has committed to pilot culturally appropriate, Indigenous-led supportive housing, in partnership with Indigenous people.
Greens have committed to specific targets for building Indigenous housing near public amenities.
Progress Vancouver has committed to support Indigenous-led housing developments, building on the examples of Sen̓áḵw and the Jericho Lands.
VOTE Socialist has committed to end the issuance of construction or demolition permits without the free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous nations and to support Indigenous-led efforts to build public housing on City-owned land.
Increasing the supply of market and non-market rental housing
Vancouver’s renter households are struggling to find affordable rental homes due to the shortage of rental housing, in particular rental housing that is adequate for larger families and those living on lower incomes. The 2021 Census data shows that Canadians are less likely to own their own homes as compared to 2011, putting additional pressure on the existing rental supply. This is a concerning trend in a city with a 1.2% vacancy rate – well below what is considered to be a “healthy rental market” vacancy rate of 3-5%. Moreover, low-income renters continue to face lengthy waitlists to access affordable non-market housing through social and supportive housing providers.
Across housing platforms, parties have committed to increase the construction of market and non-market rental housing, prioritizing family-sized units. While some have set specific targets for amount and type of new supply, others have outlined strategies and incentive structures to increase the supply of rental housing. This includes commitments to leverage City-owned land for affordable housing. Here is a non-exhaustive list of the key commitments made across party platforms:
Targeted commitments for new rental housing:
ABC has committed todouble the number of co-operative housing units in four years.
Forward Together has committed to approve and enable the construction of a total of 140,000 housing units that will include private market rentals, rentals with rents below the average market rent, social housing and co-operative housing over the next 10 years.
Greens have broadly committed to increase targets for both rental housing and non-market housing, relative to need.
Progress Vancouver has committed to increase housing targets to 15,000 per year, with 50% rental housing, providing incentives for the construction of purpose-built rentals.
VOTE Socialist has committed toensure that 50% of new housing units built are affordable. They promise to build at least 2,500 units each year for public rental housing with rents tied to household income to guarantee affordability.
In addition, NPA has broadly committed to set targets for housing based on immigration numbers, including targets for rental and workforce housing for middle class households.
Incentivizing the construction or acquisition of market and non-market rental housing:
ABC has committed tochampion the role of non-profits in the delivery of housing. They promise to identify locations to provide density bonusing for non-market housing and refocus development fees to support increased supply of affordable rentals.
AHC has committed to provide funding and incentives to co-operatives to create new rental housing. They also promise to encourage the creation of 3-bedroom units across various housing types.
Greens have committed to increase inclusionary zoning, maximize the use of city-owned lands and buildings to meet affordable housing targets, and work with the province to establish right of first refusal to acquire more housing. They have also pledged to resolve uncertainties around lease renewal for co-operative housing.
NPA has committed to incentivize the private sector to construct more housing. They do not have commitments for the construction of non-market housing or other forms of affordable rental housing.
One City has committed to give social housing an advantage over private market housing developments by allowing them to build higher and faster. They also promise to change the rules to build more 2- and 3- bedroom apartments across different housing types.
Progress Vancouver has committed torenew co-operative housing leases and to work with the insurance industry to facilitate insurance for collective living. They have promised to build more family sized, 2- and 3-bedroom homes.
TEAM has committed toprovide a mix of non-market and private market housing for rental and ownership in partnership with local residents at the scale of each neighbourhood. They promise to use City-owned lands to create more affordable housing options.
VOTE Socialist has committed toestablish right of first refusal to allow the City of Vancouver to purchase residential buildings to convert them into public housing.
In addition, AHC, One City, Vision Vancouver, and VOTE Socialist all committed to transform or revitalize the Vancouver Affordable Housing Agency and empower the agency to build and maintain affordable rental housing.
Streamlining the planning process and reduce barriers to building new housing
Studies have shown that overly strenuous regulations and bottlenecks in the planning and approvals processes can slow down the construction of new housing, increasing costs and decreasing affordability. Several parties have included in their housing platforms strategies to streamline and speed up planning and permitting processes, with the stated objective of increasing the supply and affordability of new housing. Here is a non-exhaustive list of key commitments made:
ABC has committed to impose strict timelines on the permitting process. They also promise to adopt pre-approved building forms for laneway homes.
AHC has committed to establish pre-approved building templates for missing middle homes and shift the permitting process in areas zoned for construction to City Staff.
Forward Together has committed to modernize public hearings and permitting, including through reform of the Vancouver Charter, to expedite the permitting of rental and social housing. They also promise to create new specialized project teams to expedite approvals for major projects.
Green Party has committed to guarantee permit timelines, streamline the permitting process for affordable and non-profit housing construction, simplify the process for permitting additional dwellings and secondary suites, and establish pre-approved building forms.
NPA has committed to impose guaranteed permitting timelines for home construction and explore digital permitting solutions.
One City has committed to delegate some development approvals to City Staff, streamlining the approvals process and removing requirements for public hearings.
Progress Vancouver has committed to establish standardized missing-middle designs, review the permitting application process and impose tight timelines on permitting.
Vision Vancouver has committed to support the removal of public hearings for all below-market housing and impose guaranteed timelines for missing middle builds and home renovations.
Additionally, TEAM has outlined its commitments to continue to conduct ongoing consultations with existing communities in the zoning and development process.
Strengthening renter protections
Vancouver is a city of renters with over half its households living in rental housing. However, renters frequently face housing instability and eviction due to re-development or renovation of rental units. Building on some of the commitments made in Vancouver’s newly adopted Broadway Plan, several parties have pledged to strengthen renter protections and limit displacement resulting from growth and intensification, including commitments to divert new development to lower-density neighbourhoods.
COPE has committed to extend renter protections so that those displaced by renovation or demolition are guaranteed a comparable unit at the same rent and are provided a top-up subsidy for rents in an interim unit. They have promised to legalize tenant unions and establish their right to bargain with landlords. They have also committed to a host of other renter protections, including ending the prohibition of pets in rental units and working with the province to strengthen the Residential Tenancies Act to limit evictions.
Forward Together and Progress Vancouver have committed to extend renter protections across the whole city, including paid relocation of renters if their units are being renovated or redeveloped, providing developer-based subsidies to displaced renters for rent increases and ensuring right of first refusal to return for these renters at the same or lower rent.
Greens have committed to strengthen the enforcement of standards of maintenance for rental housing, expand the City’s Tenant Relocation and Protection Guidelines to rental buildings bought by non-profit housing providers and to strengthen the permitting process to monitor and intervene in cases of renovictions.
OneCity has committed toestablish a Tenant Advocacy Office to advocate for renters facing evictions without proper cause and hold landlords accountable. They promise to end displacement incentives and create a right of return, and providing rental top-ups to displaced renters to ensure they maintain housing. They also promise to legally recognize tenant unions and regulate their relationships to landlords.
Vision Vancouver has committed to realize the Renter Protection Office to offer protections and advocacy for renters. They promise to appoint a Renters’ Advocate to engage with City Hall and address renovictions and rental housing shortages.
VOTE Socialist has committed toimplement renters’ right to return at the same or lower rents, as well as the right of first refusal and vacancy control tied to units. They promise to end evictions for any residents living in units that cost less than 80% of market rate unless immediately provided with comparable alternate housing. They also promise to establish the rights of renters to organize and collectively bargain in apartment buildings or corporate-owned properties.
Stabilizing rents
As mentioned, the recent 2021 Census data shows that almost half of renters in Vancouver are living in unaffordable homes. Currently, rent control in British Columbia is tied to the renter, meaning that landlords can raise rents by any amount between renters. This means that affordability challenges are particularly severe for those trying to find a new rental home. Several parties have pledged to work with other levels of government to stabilize rents.
AHC has committed to impose vacancy control.
COPE has committed to regulate rent increases between tenants (impose vacancy control) through a Landowner and Landlord Registry program. They also promise to establish a Rent Control Board that will work toward a “roll-back” of rents to 2017 prices.
Forward Together has committed to add permanent vacancy control to some new rental units to ensure they remain 20% below CMHC’s average city-wide rent for the building life.
Greens have also committed to impose vacancy control.
OneCity has committed toadvocate for rent control and ensure future public assistance goes directly to renters. They also promise to maintain a registry of historic rent prices to increase transparency on rent hikes.
VOTE Socialist has committed to require landlords to disclose the previous tenant’s rent to the new tenant. They also promise to implement a four-year rent freeze on City-owned rental properties.
Countering housing speculation and stabilizing land prices
With some of the most expensive housing prices in Canada, Vancouver’s housing and the land it sits on is often treated as an investment opportunity. This has led to rampant housing speculation, inflating the cost of land and housing. Several parties have committed to leverage policy and taxation tools to curb housing speculation and stabilize land prices.
ABC has committed tosupport the Empty Homes Tax and initiate a review to better identify residents unintentionally captured by this policy.
AHC has committed to implement an appreciation tax on land sales and impose a progressive property tax on the most valuable lots.
Forward Together has committed tomaintain the Empty Homes Tax at a minimum of 5%.
Greens have committed to strengthen enforcement of the Empty Homes Tax and short-term rental bylaws.
One City has committed to leverage available revenue tools to capture increased land value to reinvest in affordable housing and neighbourhood amenities. They also promise to work with the province to implement a Land Value Tax.
Progress Vancouver has committed toenact a progressive Luxury Homes Surtax and to maintain the Empty Homes Tax.
TEAM has committed tostabilize land values by ending inflationary and disruptive spot zonings that ignore neighbourhood plans without contributing to community amenities.
VOTE Socialist has committed to increase residential and commercial property tax to achieve parity with other Canadian cities. They also promise to support higher property taxes on ownership of more than two properties and strengthen enforcement of short-term rental bylaws.
Progress, NPA, ABC and Greens have committed to reform current Community Amenity Contributions (CAC) to increase transparency and predictability.
Supporting unhoused residents
The City of Vancouver has reported that on a given night, there are 2,000 people in the city experiencing homelessness, while around 7,000 more are at risk of homelessness, meaning they are living in housing that is precarious or insecure. Notably, these numbers are from 2020 and do not reflect the destabilizing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, or the effects of ongoing upward pressure on rents and the closure of several Single Room Occupancy (SRO) buildings in 2022, one of the key sources of housing for people living on low-incomes. While longer term strategies to increase affordable and supportive housing are essential to respond to the crises of housing affordability and homelessness, several parties have also committed to provide immediate support to those experiencing homelessness across the city. Here are some of the key commitments:
COPE has committed to provide water and sanitation facilities and allocated space for renters on Hastings Street, and fund peer organizations to maintain safe spaces – in the immediate term. They have pledgedtocoordinate across levels of government to start acquiring hotels, empty apartment buildings or tiny homes in the medium-term, to provide dignified housing to unhoused people. In the long-term, they promise to plan for thousands of new units of dignified housing by leveraging City-owned land.
Greens have committed to fast-track tiny home communities in empty lots for people experiencing homelessness, improve existing shelter options, strengthen the provision of wrap-around services and staffing in Supportive Housing Units, and provide 24-hour access to water and sanitation facilities for people experiencing homelessness. They have promised to work with the province to expedite the replacement of SROs.
One City has committed to build temporary modular housing on public lands to immediately house those at risk of or experiencing homelessness while permanent housing is found.
Progress Vancouver has committed to work with other levels of government to buy private SROs and renovate them into public social housing over the longer term and to advocate for an increased shelter assistance rate. They have promised to use vacant land to operate temporary emergency outdoor shelters, increase resources and accessibility of women’s shelters, increase access to public washrooms and build Supportive Social Housing outside of Downtown.
VOTE Socialist has committed to stop the eviction of encampment residents, establish short-term emergency shelters in government-owned buildings and parking areas, and to stop the enforcement of parking bylaws that criminalize residents living in vehicles. They have also promised to purchase all privately owned SROs and renovate them to better provide short-term emergency and affordable housing.
Disclaimer: This list represents a summary of many of the key commitments on housing made by parties running in Vancouver’s 2022 Municipal Elections. This should not be considered an exhaustive list of all commitments made. Please refer to the housing platforms shared at the top of this article for a comprehensive overview of each platform.
The latest developments in housing policy from across Canada:
On September 21, Statistics Canada released its 2021 census data on housing, which found that the proportion of people living in core housing need fell from 12.7% in 2016 to 10.1% in 2021 due to rising incomes. While this may demonstrate that people are struggling less with housing affordability, adequacy and suitability, the situation is much more complex. In terms of affordability, shelter costs increased by 17.6% between 2016 and 2021 for renters while homeowners experienced an increase of 9.7%. At the same time, income supports targeted to lower income communities during the pandemic such as CERB have likely played a role in improving housing affordability in 2021. That said, one in five renters spend more than 30% of their income on shelter costs.
The data also showed that renters are disproportionately impacted, with twice the number of renters experiencing core housing need in large cities like Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver compared to homeowners. In addition, three times as many Indigenous people lived in houses that are in need of repairs compared to the general population even as housing conditions for Indigenous communities have improved since the last census period.
Notably, homeownership rates have declined over the last five years. While the greatest decline is seen amongst younger adults aged 25 to 29, the trend of declining homeownership rates is expected to continue. Finally, provincial variations show that British Columbia has the highest rate of unaffordable homes at 25.5% with Ontario next at 24.2%.
On September 13, the federal government announced it will more than double its Budget 2022 commitment to provide $500 in housing benefits in addition to the existing one-time rental supports offered under the Canada Housing Benefit program. At a cost of $475 million, the government says the benefits will reach 1.8 million people. In addition, the government announced a $200 million investment in a five-year rent-to-own program under the Affordable Housing Innovation Fund. As part of a larger $2 billion investment to create up to 17,000 homes in Canada, these funds are to be used in helping housing providers create rent-to-own models. In this arrangement, first time homebuyers who are struggling to secure a mortgage have the option of building up equity through paying a portion of their monthly rent towards a down payment with the intention of eventually purchasing the unit. Experts note that the program may make housing more accessible but not necessarily more affordable.
Tenant advocates in Nova Scotia have raised concerns around fixed term leases as vacancy rates remain low and as housing affordability has become a chronic problem across the province. Current tenancy laws allow landlords to offer tenants a “fixed-term” lease with a start and end date with no automatic renewal. Landlords can choose not to renew the lease without any explanation, effectively terminating the tenant’s lease and leaving them with no recourse. Advocates have cited increasing instances of such lease terminations in light of a temporary two percent rent cap introduced by the provincial government in 2020. Since landlords are free to increase the rent without any restrictions for new tenants, there is an added incentive for some landlords to evict existing tenants who are on a fixed-term lease. Advocates are calling for more effective regulations that require landlords to offer tenants a new lease after the original lease expires, to make the rent increase guideline permanent and to add rent increase regulations to the unit instead of the tenant.
New Brunswick’s rent increase regulation of 3.8% introduced in January 2022 is set to expire in December. Tenant advocates fear exorbitant increases could lead to economic evictions of tenants who are unable to pay the rent increase. ACORN New Brunswick is calling for an overhaul of the Residential Tenancies Act, to ban renovictions and make rent control permanent and to tie rent increases to the unit as opposed to the tenant. They explain that these forms of rent control would help to disincentivize evictions.
PEI’s government is vowing to fight the decision made by the independent Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission to set the annual rent cap for 2023 at 5.2% for unheated rental units and 10.8% for heated rental units. This is the largest allowable hike on record since 1989. Since 2014, the rent cap has varied between one to two per cent. Over 200 tenants and 65 landlords made submissions to the Commission before the decision was made and there is great disappointment that the needs of tenants were not reflected in the final decision. Stronger protections for tenants in the Residential Tenancies Act alongside a more comprehensive housing strategy is needed to help renters stay in their homes and have access to secure rental housing.
Plusieurs arrondissements Montréalais sont dans le processus d’introduire des mesures pour interdire la reconversion des résidences pour aînés en autre chose que du logement social. Cette requête fait suite à une motion passée par le Conseil de la Ville, qui en appelle au gouvernement provincial pour introduire un moratorium de un an sur la conversion des résidences pour aînés en blocs appartements. D’autres locataires ont amené les propriétaires en cour après qu’ils aient été sommés de quitter les lieux. Cependant, un représentant des propriétaires s’est plaint que leur décision de convertir ces résidences est justifiée par l’incapacité de ces operateurs à gérer la flambée des prix et les barrières administratives. Il n’existe pas de mesure d’aide telles que le crédit sur la taxe municipale. Un des maires d’arrondissement suggère que c’est la province qui devrait établir des solutions à long terme qui conviennent à tous.
Pendant ce temps, la nouvelle administration de Hampstead a adopté un règlement qui oblige les promoteurs souhaitant faire des rénovations d’obtenir d’abord un permis. Ils peuvent l’obtenir en démontrant que le logement est vacant, ou dans le cas contraire, que le locataire donne son accord pour les travaux et que des alternatives lui sont offertes. Cette décision représente un changement radical par rapport à l’administration précédente, qui n’était pas favorable de telles mesures.
Several Montreal boroughs are in the process of introducing measures to forbid seniors’ residences from being converted into anything other than social or affordable housing. This follows a motion passed by Montreal’s City Council to call for the provincial government to introduce a one-year moratorium on converting seniors’ residents into apartment buildings. Other residents have taken their building owners to court after they were asked to move out. However, a representative for owners of seniors’ residents complains that the move towards conversion is a result of operators’ inability to handle escalating costs and red tape. There are no relief measures such as a municipal tax credit. A borough mayor suggests that it’s up to the province to come up with a longer-term solution that works for everyone.
Meanwhile, a new administration in the upscale suburb of Hampstead in Montreal has adopted a bylaw that will require developers who want to do renovations to first get a permit. They can obtain this by showing that the unit is vacant or if the tenant has agreed to the renovations in writing and that alternative living options or other arrangements have been provided to the tenant. The move is a departure from the past administration which was not supportive of such protective measures.
According to Toronto Public Health Data, deaths among people experiencing homelessness spiked from 128 in 2019 to 221 deaths in 2021. In the last six months, 92 people have died with more than half of those deaths attributed to drug toxicity. An advocate for people experiencing homelessness is sounding the alarm and calls out the deepening housing crisis and the City’s approach to clearing encampments as factors that have driven many into isolation. Toronto Public Health noted that it has integrated harm reduction into City-based shelters and expanded mental health supports to 12 shelter hotels, and will continue to advocate for expanding these services.
York Region’s council voted to ask staff to come up with a plan and draft bylaw to discourage property owners from leaving their homes vacant. As the benchmark house price reached about $1.3 million in June, the proposed policy would bring much needed supply into the housing market and could raise between $13.4 million to $26.8 million in revenues to help address the housing crisis. In fact, 88% of the public who were recently surveyed in the region supported the measure. Next steps will involve figuring out what exactly is defined as a vacant home and which of the nine municipalities in the region the policy would apply to.
A report released by Smart Prosperity Institute applied a refined benchmark to effectively validate projections made by the Ontario Housing Affordability Task Force that the province will need to build 1.5 million homes over the next ten years. Furthermore, 48% of the demand for housing will come from Peel Region, York Region and the City of Toronto. However, these projections are 500,000 units higher than forecasts made to inform the provincial Growth Plan. This is a significant mismatch; surrounding communities may experience spillover demand as families look for more affordable options. While there are other projections available, such as CMHC’s significantly higher estimates, a more comprehensive plan to address bottlenecks to housing construction and the building of the right type of housing to meet varied housing demands is a priority.
About 60 units in two new supportive housing complexes remain vacant in Edmonton, while a local housing agency, Homeward Trust, is working to understand how to best operate these units without the funding support it needs from the province. The homes are expected to house people experiencing mental health and addiction challenges and are part of 5 other projects funded by the City of Edmonton and through the federal government’s Rapid Housing Initiative. In addition, three hotels are in the process of being converted to offer 243 more units. Provincial reluctance to support these housing options has left the housing agency without supports and as a local Councillor notes, it is important to provide supportive housing as a longer term option which is more cost effective than emergency shelter responses.
As part of a variety of measures to tackle inflation, the B.C. government has announced that rent increases will be capped at 2% in 2023. While rent increases were frozen in 2021 because of the pandemic, earlier caps have been tied to inflation. The maximum allowable increase for the coming year has disappointed tenants advocates. Tenant advocates fear the cap may incentivize landlords to evict tenants and substantially increase rents for newer tenants given that the rent caps are only applied to tenants, and not the unit. They say stronger vacancy control legislation is needed to complement the current rent caps.
The federal government has provided a $1.4 billion loan to Vancouver’s Squamish Nation to help finance the construction of 3,000 homes in Sen̓áḵw, lands that were recently reclaimed by the Squamish Nation. The loan from CMHC, the largest in Canadian history, will finance the first two phases of a four-phase project that will eventually consist of 6,000 rental units and 1,200 homes. The terms of the CMHC loans have received criticism for not including more stringent affordability criteria. However, the Squamish Nation’s Council Chair has noted that without the loan it would not have been feasible to construct any rental units. Other developers also explain that under current economic conditions and with additional costs stemming from requirements such as meeting efficiency standards, adding more rules could disincentivize them from applying for rental construction loans. Nevertheless, under the current agreement, 20% of the new rental developments in the first two phases will be below market rents but may not provide the deeply affordable rental housing that the community needs.
The City of Vancouver and the Hogan’s Alley Society have reached an agreement to create a community land trust and a mixed-use redevelopment at a site in Strathcona, in downtown Vancouver. The Hogan’s Alley neighbourhood was home to Vancouver’s Black community during the first half of the twentieth century. However, city officials neglected to maintain the basic infrastructure of the neighbourhood and over the course of the 1960s, the area was demolished to make way for an overpass as part of a general trend of “urban renewal” across North America that displaced many Black communities to accommodate expansion of transport and other infrastructure. The Community Land Trust is the latest move in attempting to redress such injustices through taking land out of the private market and placing it in the hands of the community to be used as a resource to serve “vulnerable members of our diverse city community.”
A Yellowknife resident living next to a social housing building has struggled to navigate the housing system and lodged his complaint about persistent instances of domestic violence and disruption in a particular unit. The conditions and procedures to evict a tenant living in social housing can appear to be very restrictive and convoluted, potentially precluding people from protecting themselves from possible harm. While protections for tenants are also necessary, conditions for evictions overlook plausible grounds such as domestic violence while the review process entails many layers, eventually subject to the discretion of a court judge. Housing authorities were not very responsive when questions about these bottlenecks.
Canada’s growing housing crisis has prevented many households, particularly those living on lower incomes, from finding and keeping an adequate, accessible and affordable place to call home. As rents continue to soar and affordable housing options dwindle, it’s crucial to protect the few affordable housing options that are available.
Rent subsidies are a much-needed tool that governments use to help ensure lower-income households can afford a home. However, in Ontario, social housing landlords have the power to revoke a tenant’s subsidy in some circumstances – for example if a person has not provided the correct paperwork. This power held by these landlords is discretionary – meaning that, even if there are grounds to do so, they can choose not to revoke a subsidy. This is an important choice which can have tremendous consequences for households who are living in poverty and who likely do not have the means to secure an affordable home without a subsidy. A household that cannot afford an unsubsidized rent could face eviction due to the inability to pay a higher rent, and their eviction could also lead to homelessness.
Given the potentially catastrophic consequences when a person loses their rent subsidy, the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR) is deeply concerned about an Ottawa Community Housing (OCH) tenant, Charlas Mackenzie, who lost his rent subsidy. In 2019, OCH chose to revoke Mr. Mackenzie’s subsidy because of minor reporting errors. In making its decision, OCH chose not to consider Mr. Mackenzie’s circumstances when deciding whether revoking his subsidy was reasonable or fair, nor whether losing his subsidy would likely render him homeless or separate him from his young children.
Since losing his subsidy, Mr. Mackenzie has appealed OCH’s decision, with no luck in reversing it to date. On September 20, 2022, the Ontario Court of Appeal will hear Mr. MacKenzie’s appeal, and the Court has granted CCHR intervenor status because of our expertise in human rights in housing. This status will allow CCHR to present arguments during the appeal hearing to promote Mr. MacKenzie’s right to housing and the rights of his children. We will assist the Court by arguing that OCH should have exercised its discretion in a way that was consistent with the right to housing and the rights of the child.
Since OCH’s decision to revoke a subsidy will effectively evict Mr. MacKenzie, CCHR will argue that, under the requirements of the right to housing – which Canada recognizes in the National Housing Strategy Act (NHSA) and various international human rights treaties – OCH should have considered whether eviction was a necessary and proportionate response to a minor issue, and whether the issue could have been resolved without resorting to eviction. CCHR will also argue that, under the rights of the child, OCH should have considered the impacts of its decision on Mr. Mackenzie’s children.
The Court’s decision will set an important precedent for households living in social housing across Ontario. We hope that CCHR’s intervention will help establish that social housing must be managed in a way that respects tenants’ human rights.
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
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