The Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (CERA) will now be known as the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR).
Although our name has changed, our mission has not wavered. Since 1987, our organization has been working to transform lives by advancing the right to housing for all. Over the last 35 years, we have passionately advocated for the people and communities that we serve, guided by our vision of a world where everyone has an adequate, affordable and accessible place to call home. In recent years, we have expanded the work we do to advance systemic change through policy advocacy, research, education and training across Canada.
As we mark this 35-year milestone and look toward the future, we are taking the opportunity to embrace this moment by transitioning our organization’s name so that it better reflects who we are and what we do today. The need for adequate, accessible and affordable housing has never been greater in Canada, and we remain as dedicated as ever to advancing the right to housing of Canadians.
The Canadian Centre for Housing Rights will continue to advocate and work tirelessly for those in greatest housing need across Canada in collaboration with housing advocates, nonprofit organizations, and people with lived experience of housing precarity. As we enter this new era for our organization, we will strive to accomplish our goals in new and expanding ways while staying true to our vision and values. Although our name has changed, our mission will always be to advance the right to housing for all.
It is a privilege to continue serving communities across Canada as we go forward under a new name.
With appreciation,
Annie Hodgins, Executive Director, on behalf of the whole CCHR team.
In this new phase we will work to advance the right to housing across Canada in the following ways:
Government of Canada nearly doubles funding to address rise in homelessness The Government of Canada announced increased funding for Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy. Launched in April 2019 with over $2 billion in funding, August’s announcement will increase the Strategy funding to nearly $4 billion. CCHR called on the government to enhance supports for people experiencing homelessness as well as in our 2022 Budget Submission and we hope the increase helps reach the National Housing Strategy goal of cutting chronic homelessness in Canada by 50%. We will continue to advocate for changing the definition of homelessness to include the experiences of women and gender-diverse populations so the Reaching Home fund can support ending hidden homelessness in Canada.
The National Housing Council makes recommendations to advance the right to housing in Canada The National Housing Council, an advisory body created through the National Housing Strategy Act, released its interim report on how the federal government can fulfill its housing rights obligations, based on consultations with people with lived and living experience of housing need and homelessness, as well as organizations who support them. The NHC outlines five high-level recommendations for the federal government: to incorporate right to housing language in all key government activities; to shift housing policy and programs to a rights and needs-based design with an intersectional, GBA+, anti-discrimination, decolonization and human-rights based approach; to prioritize a separate, fully-funded ‘For Indigenous, By Indigenous’ process of implementing the right to housing for Indigenous peoples; to define clear measurements for progress; and to better coordinate between different levels of governments.
Big investors may be looking to Canada’s home market In the United States, investment firms have become the biggest buyers of new homes in the country, which has reduced housing options for middle-income earners looking to buy a home and contributed to rising rents. Some real estate experts believe that Canada’s housing market may soon become a target for private equity investors. There is a lack of data about the size of private equity investment in Canada’s homeownership market, though Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) hold a large percentage of the multi-family rental market. In some provinces, individuals who own more than one property hold as much as 41 per cent of all residences. The financialization of housing, where homes are increasingly becoming used to increase investments of financialized actors, is a significant driver of the current housing crisis across the country.
NOVA SCOTIA
Affordable Housing Commission claims progress in Nova Scotia housing crisis The Nova Scotia Affordable Housing Commission released its last report, detailing the progress made by the province in addressing the need for affordable housing. The Commission says that 50 of the 17 recommendations and 60 actions in the 2021 report have been completed or are close to completion. The 2021 report recommendations were the result of a public consultation process involving surveys, workshops, and engagement with academics, community organizations, and housing experts. Despite the apparent progress advocates in the province are calling on their governments to stop forced evictions, support those experiencing homelessness and address the growing housing crisis.
New housing resource centre to help address housing needs of Black community The Nova Scotia Affordable Housing Commission released its last report, detailing the progress made by the province in addressing the need for affordable housing. The Commission says that 50 of the 17 recommendations and 60 actions in the 2021 report have been completed or are close to completion. The 2021 report recommendations were the result of a public consultation process involving surveys, workshops, and engagement with academics, community organizations, and housing experts. Despite the apparent progress advocates in the province are calling on their governments to stop forced evictions, support those experiencing homelessness and address the growing housing crisis.
QUEBEC
Utiliser les revenus du cannabis pour vaincre l’itinérance, un bon pari? Le conseil municipal de Lachine a adopté une motion appelant la Province à accroitre le financement des services en itinérance en réinvestissant une partie des profits provenant de la Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC). Le maire de Lachine a déclaré que les $3 millions en financement provincial pour les infrastructures de soutien sont insuffisants pour résoudre la crise de l’itinérance dans l’arrondissement. Les ventes de la SQDC sont en hausse continue, avec des profits enregistrés de $75 millions en 2022, contre $66 millions en 2021 et $26 millions en 2020.
[English]Montreal’s Lachine borough proposes homelessness funding come from cannabis sales Montreal’s Lachine borough council passed a motion calling on the province to increase funding for homelessness services by drawing from revenue from the province’s cannabis retailer, the Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC). The Lachine mayor argued that the $3 million in provincial funding for public works is insufficient to tackle the ballooning homelessness crisis in the borough. The SQDC’s sales have continued to rise, with profits of $75 million reported in 2022, from $66 million in 2021 and just $26 million in 2020.
Vivre en Ville publie un index de solutions pour contrer la crise du logement au Québec Vivre en Ville – une organisation à but non-lucratif œuvrant pour le développement urbain durable à Montréal – a récemment publié un rapport détaillant des solutions ciblées pour contrer les causes profondes de la crise du logement qui sévit à travers la Province. L’index Portes Ouvertes indique que près de 200,000 ménages québécois dépensent plus de la moitié de leurs revenus pour leur logement – le manque d’options abordables est exacerbé par le fait que les taux de vacance demeurent très bas, et 57% des unités de logement nécessitent des réparations majeures. L’index offre plusieurs recommandations, tournées vers la de-financialisation des marchées du logement, la taxation des projets du marché privé, l’accroissement du stock de logement social, la création d’un secteur de la construction résilient et la mise en place d’actions collectives pour faire face au « pas dans ma cour », ou NIMBYisme.
[English] Montreal organization, Vivre en Ville, releases index of solutions to Quebec housing crisis Vivre en Ville, a research and education non-profit that works on sustainable urban development issues in Montreal, released a report detailing solutions to the housing problems plaguing the province. The report notes that almost 200,000 Quebec households spend more than 50% of their income on rent, area municipalities have very low vacancy rates, and a staggering 57% of units in Montreal are in need of major repairs. Portes Ouvertes recommends the de-financialization of housing markets, increased taxation of private developers and providers, increasing social and non-profit housing supply, the creation of a sustainable building sector, and action to prevent NIMBYism.
ONTARIO
New provincial legislation gives mayors of Toronto and Ottawa new powers The Ontario government passed contentious legislative changes that give the mayors of Ontario’s largest cities new powers, arguing that they are needed to address the housing crisis. The ‘Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act’ allows mayors to veto their City budget and override bylaws approved by City Council that “interfere with a provincial priority.” Councillors in Ottawa and Toronto can reverse a mayoral veto with a two-thirds majority vote.
Almost half of shelter-seekers turned away in Toronto A study of central intake data from the City of Toronto between November 2020 and June 2022 found that nearly half of people seeking shelter (24,556 individuals) were turned away. The majority – 81% of cases, were turned away because no shelter space was available at the time. In 16 per cent of cases, there was no space available that met the person’s needs, including for accessibility. The study questions the City’s position that there are enough shelter beds in Toronto to support those experiencing homelessness, including residents of encampments.
Housing advocates call on municipal candidates to take the Affordable Housing Pledge Right to Housing Toronto, a network of individuals and organizational supporters including CCHR that advocates for the City of Toronto to adopt a human rights-based approach to housing, is asking candidates for City Council to take the Affordable Housing Pledge. By taking the Pledge, candidates commit to deepen the City’s housing investments and ensure new homes are accessible to all, preserve existing affordable rental housing, ensure tenants have an active voice in the maintenance of their homes, expand eviction prevention supports, and facilitate ‘gentle densification’ of existing neighbourhoods.
MANITOBA
Manitoba government increases social assistance for the first time in years The Manitoba government announced a ‘Family Affordability Package’ to ease the burden of inflation of Manitobans. The package includes $63 million for families with children who earn less than $175,000 but also earmarks $16 million for seniors earning less than $40,000; both groups will receive a one-time payment. People living on Employment and Income Assistance (EIA) will receive a small increase to their Basic Needs Benefit amounting to about $8 million; EIA recipients without children will get $50 more per month and EIA disability recipients will get another $25 per month. The increase is the first raise in social assistance rates in years. Advocates called for a larger increase to ensure EIA recipients can afford rising rents and other expenses necessary to live a dignified life.
ALBERTA
Alberta government expands temporary rent assistance program: The Alberta Government has expanded rental assistance to more households across the province. The Temporary Rent Assistance Benefit (TRAB) will now include more than 80 communities across Alberta. The TRAB offers eligible Albertans a minimum of $100 per month to help them cover their rent payments.
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Human Rights Commissioner calls for ‘social condition’ protections After the attacks on people who are homeless in BC, including the murder of two people in July, the B.C. Human Rights Commissioner repeated her calls to include ‘social condition’ in the Human Rights Code as a protected class. This would prohibit discrimination based on economic condition, including housing status, employment (or lack of), source of income and other factors. Several other provinces and territories include social condition in their human rights codes, including Manitoba, New Brunswick, the Northwest Territories and Quebec.
City of Vancouver faces legal setback in setting limits on SRO rent increases The B.C. Supreme Court quashed new bylaws created by the City of Vancouver which limited rent increases between tenants in single occupancy housing (also known as SROs). The new rules are meant to stabilize rents in single-room occupancy housing where those with the lowest incomes live by limiting rent increases on turnover relative to the rate of inflation, depending on the existing rent. The judge ruled that the City bylaw was outside the authority of the City of Vancouver to implement and that the Residential Tenancy Act governs residential rents in the province. The City is appealing the decision.
YUKON
Yukon government release Draft Housing Plan In response to a scathing Auditor General report that criticized the Territorial government’s response to housing need in the territory, the Yukon government released a draft housing plan. Data sharing and collaboration are priorities for the government, including better coordinating access to affordable housing. The plan has yet to be finalized, and the government says it will consult with First Nations, Indigenous organizations, municipalities and both for and not-for-profit housing organizations. Advocates called on the government to address the private rental market in addition to the social housing system, and to act with the urgency the local housing crisis requires.
FEDERAL
Canada needs to build more affordable housing for newcomers With a low national birth rate and high labour demand, immigration is more important than ever to support growth in Canada’s economy. However, the findings of an SSHRC-funded study indicate that newcomers to Canada are struggling to find places to live. Currently, the combination of modest population growth, housing financialization and increased housing demand is rapidly driving up prices, a lethal combination for newcomers. Priced out of the ownership market, many are left renting units that are overcrowded and inadequate. The research calls for immediate action across levels of government to increase housing supply and affordability, including units that can accommodate larger families.
More Canadians are living with roommates, census shows The latest round of census data from Statistics Canada shows that roommate households have grown faster than any other housing arrangement since 2001, particularly among those ages 20 to 34. The data also indicates that while there are fewer one-family households, there are more multi-generational households than before. Overall, the data shows a changing picture of young adulthood in Canada, something Statistics Canada connects with rising housing costs. While a record 4.4 million people lived alone in 2021, this trend is least prevalent in Ontario, a province with above average housing costs and a proliferation of young adults living with their parents. See CERA’s analysis of the new census data.
NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR
N.L.’s housing crunch is leaving renters ‘desperately’ looking for a place to live A lack of availability and affordability are two problems facing prospective renters, with the rising cost of living taking larger chunks from people’s pay cheques. As a result, St. John’s is seeing a rise in families experiencing homelessness, something that has historically not been an issue. As a result, there are no agencies in the city that specifically deal with family homelessness. Advocates worry that the situation may get worse due to a dramatic decrease in the province’s rental vacancy rate since 2020.
NEW BRUNSWICK
More than 250 N.B. public housing units sit empty on average each month, despite wait list Despite increasing need, affordable housing units across New Brunswick are sitting empty. In June 2022, the province had 227 vacant public housing units, nearly six per cent of its total inventory. Another 133 units were vacant under the rent supplement program, where private landlords receive money to subsidize tenants’ rent based on household income. At the same time, the province’s wait list for affordable housing has grown from about 5,000 households at the end of 2019 to 8,194 households. The reason for the high vacancy rates may be in part due to gaps in funding to undertake maintenance and repairs of vacant units.
NOVA SCOTIA
Nova Scotia says it won’t try to justify housing discrimination against people with disabilities Following a ruling from the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission that the provincial government’s failure to offer “meaningful” access to housing for people with disabilities amounted to a violation of their basic rights, the government has committed to negotiating a remedy. Advocates welcome this move after concerns that the government might refer to Section 6 of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act to exempt itself from the ruling. Hearings before the human rights board of inquiry to establish remedies for this case are scheduled to begin in October 2022.
ONTARIO
Ontario planning to bring in ‘strong mayor’ system for Toronto and Ottawa Premier Doug Ford is planning to embolden the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa with broader U.S. style powers while diminishing the sway of city councillors. The province is expected to table the legislation during a summer session of the legislature. The provincial government argues that expanded mayoral power could help address the housing shortage in major cities and get development approved more quickly. While Toronto’s Mayor John Tory has come out in support of the move, housing advocates have voiced skepticism if expanded mayoral powers will translate into a more effective response to the housing affordability crisis and concern over how this could impact local democracy.
Toronto is looking to all levels of government to address rising rents and curb renovictions Toronto’s top housing official has called on the province to tie rent control rules to residential units, rather than the tenants who inhabit them — arguing the change could help curb the financial incentive for landlords to evict long-term renters. Paired with initiatives undertaken at the municipal level, these changes would increase security of tenure by disincentivizing renovictions and other predatory practices by landlords. Earlier this month, Toronto City Council voted in favor of a Renoviction Policy to guide the development of a new by-law to preserve affordable and mid-range rental housing in the city and deter renovictions. CERA recommended that, while the policy directions are promising, further details are needed to understand the full application and impact of the City’s approach. This month, CERA also provided recommendations on Council’s proposal on Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods and its recent Land Needs Assessment.
MANITOBA
Winnipeg needs much more affordable housing to combat homelessness: advocates Advocates for Winnipeg’s residents who are experiencing homelessness say that without more efforts to create and offer low-income and affordable housing in the city, more people will experience homelessness. Two years after releasing their own strategy to combat and understand homelessness, End Homelessness Winnipeg (EHW) says that they continue to see high numbers of people in the city living on the streets and seeking emergency shelter. While emergency shelters offer temporary support, they do not address the core issue: the number of people in need of affordable housing in Winnipeg far outstrips what is available. More affordable housing is urgently needed to meet demand, including low-income, low-barrier, Indigenous-led housing options.
SASKATCHEWAN
City Mayors calling for a review of the province’s social housing program Mayors from Saskatchewan’s cities are calling for a review of the province’s social housing program, specifically its eligibility criteria, as thousands of affordable housing units sit vacant. The City Mayors’ Caucus released a media announcement calling on the Provincial government to address the chronic gap between community needs and available housing supply.
ALBERTA
Students look for accommodation with University of Calgary residences already full With university residences full and limited housing availability in the city, the University of Calgary Students Union is looking for alternative housing options for students. The president of the Students Union is urging Calgarians to consider renting a room to a student this fall. “The current rental market is tight and what’s available often costs more than what students can afford: this is an access and affordability issue.”
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Indigenous Housing Providers in BC are redefining options for supportive housing, with notable results Research funded by CMHC and SSHRC has explored the transformative impact of culturally appropriate supportive housing for Indigenous people transitioning out of homelessness. The Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness (ACEH) opened British Columbia’s first Culturally Supportive Housing in 2020. Its Dual Model of Housing Care (DMHC) provides both culturally supportive housing and decolonized harm reduction. Going beyond housing provision, they provide pathways to healing rooted in culture, land-based programming and family reunification. The model aims to address some of the systemic barriers Indigenous people face when accessing supportive housing, providing a more culturally appropriate pathway to healing and housing stability.
Vancouver City Council approves land-use strategy for a more “equitable, livable, affordable and resilient” city For the first time in the city’s history, Vancouver has developed a “comprehensive direction” for future growth that is coordinated with other levels of government. The approved Vancouver Plan introduces a new way for the city to grow by allowing more housing options across all neighbourhoods, while restoring ecosystems and building more transit-oriented communities. It commits to significantly boost the supply of social and supportive housing and support Indigenous-led housing and wellness projects. In its submission, CERA recommended that Council use the Plan to expand robust renter protections across the city, facilitate non-profit and social housing development, and open all neighbourhoods to diverse housing options, including low rise apartments. These recommendations have been taken up by Council in the adopted Plan.
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
It’s time for Indigenous-led solutions to public housing in the North Advocates argue that Indigenous peoples should have more authority to make decisions when it comes to housing in their communities, in line with Canada’s promises of Truth and Reconciliation, United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), and other commitments. Nowhere is this more evident than in the north, where public housing does not meet community needs. Under the current system, if northerners move south in pursuit of higher education – something they are frequently forced to do with limited educational opportunities locally – they are removed from public housing waitlists and will not have access to affordable housing upon return. Public housing policies also lack cultural sensitivity by banning pets and prohibiting home based businesses, while the system fails to account for Indigenous cultural practices around multi-generational housing, leading to frequent overcrowding. The solution is a greater control by Indigenous Communities of the public housing system and culturally appropriate service provision.
The Canadian Centre for Housing Rights is proud to offer an innovative model that delivers rights-based educational training to supportive housing providers, frontline workers, peer supporters, and renters.
When renters who live in supportive housing know their legal rights, and supportive housing providers have the legal know-how to uphold those rights, together they build healthier and more resilient communities.
We offer the following two training and capacity-building models to introduce renters and supportive housing providers to the right to housing framework and rental housing laws:
Workshops for housing providers. The aim of this programming is to build legal competency, awareness, leadership and accountability around accessibility and equity issues to improve support services and uphold the rights of renters. Participants will be provided with ongoing support to apply their learnings in practice.
Workshops for renters. The aim of this programming is to empower renters to build knowledge about their rights and how to assert them. Renters will develop their capacity to navigate rental housing laws and systems so that their tenancies are more stable and successful. Participants will be provided with ongoing support to apply their learnings in practice.
This informational pamphlet details the responsibilities of federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments in Canada to work toward the progressive realization of the right to housing.
How the right to housing applies to all governments in Canada.
Holding all governments accountable to their international human rights commitments.
Using the National Housing Strategy Act as a model for implementing the right to housing within provincial, territorial and municipal governments.
Using federal spending power to ensure national co-ordination and coherence to implement the right to housing.
Encouraging inter-governmental collaboration and co-operation and through UN human rights mechanisms.
Recommendations for all governments to uphold the right to housing
This pamphlet was produced by the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR) and the National Right to Housing Network (NRHN).
This informational pamphlet outlines how governments can use the planning and development tools at their disposal to ensure that the right to adequate housing is realized. It also outlines key actions that governments should take to develop new approaches to planning and zoning to promote inclusive, vibrant communities that ensure adequate housing for all, and how individuals can engage in this process as well.
This pamphlet was produced by the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR) and the National Right to Housing Network (NRHN).
This informational pamphlet examines the issue of renovations and upgrading that lead to evictions from rental housing, which denies people their right to security of tenure – a key component of the right to housing. We outline how “renovictions” are playing out across Canada, and how advancing the right to housing can help to address these issues.
This pamphlet was produced by the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR) and the National Right to Housing Network (NRHN).
Stories of discrimination in rental housing are far too common in Canada. Many advocates have long pointed to discrimination in housing as a systemic issue caused by patterns of behavior, policies or practices that are a part of the structures of our society which put certain groups at a disadvantage.
What does systemic discrimination in housing look like in practice? From passive aggressive comments to discriminatory housing posts, three women share their stories about their challenges finding and maintaining safe and accessible housing in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
From left, Dorrett White, Jasmine Jennings, and Sheila Warner.
The first taste of discrimination
Dorrett White is a wife, mother, and working actor who has had roles on several shows, including The Boys, What We Do in the Shadows, and Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker.
White remembers first experiencing discrimination in housing when her and her now-husband were looking for a place to rent in the Beaches neighbourhood where they could grow into as a family. White is Black and her husband is Latino. Though they looked good on paper – her credit was great and his job paid more than minimum wage – they endured what seemed like endless rejection.
“Every landlord that we went to, they would tell us, ‘alright we’ll take your information and we will give you a call back’ and we never heard from any of them,” White said. “Even when we offered personal references, a number of employment letters, and people who could vouch for us, we would still never hear back. And we would always get told and reminded that ‘parties can’t happen here’ or not to invite too many people over. I’m not sure what that was about but that was a common thread in every single landlord we met on that journey.”
After a long search, White and her husband were accepted for a one-bedroom apartment, but they would soon find themselves on a difficult rental search again.
Learning to settle for less
For Jasmine Jennings, a 24-year-old former youth in care and crown ward about to embark a Bachelor of Social Work, the challenge of finding suitable housing began when she turned 18.
“For a lot of youth in care, turning 18 is nothing to be excited about and the only gift you are guaranteed on this day is abandonment,” Jennings shared. “While other 17-year-olds around me were focused on finding the perfect prom dress or walking across the stage, I was thinking about homelessness.”
Jennings said that time spent in care often leads to a belief “that putting up with abuse, mistreatment, or just generally being uncomfortable is something that I have to do.” The belief that she did not deserve safe and stable housing was with her when she started to look for a place to rent after being released from foster care.
There were other challenges facing her, as well.
“I am disabled and Black, and I am a woman of low income, so it feels like all of the odds are stacked against me,” she said.
“Because I am disabled, my income is ODSP. And a lot of times, landlords do not want to accept someone who is disabled. In fact, in a lot of housing postings, you’ll see ‘job letter or recent paystubs required’ and this usually leaves me living in spaces that aren’t safe and don’t meet my accommodations,” Jennings shared. “I have had knives pulled on me, I have had inappropriate sexual advances. I’ve been locked out. I have been told that I have to be home at 10:00 p.m. I have paid money in cash then been told that I haven’t paid, so I had to pay double. So, being left to live in spaces that aren’t safe has been really challenging.
White also found herself renting an apartment that she did not feel comfortable with due to discrimination in her rental search.
After enjoying their apartment in the Beaches neighbourhood for a couple of years, White and her husband sought to find a bigger place after having a daughter. Realizing that the Beaches would be too expensive for their budget, they decided to try looking in Scarborough. While Scarborough had more apartments in their budget, it was still difficult for them to find a landlord willing to rent to them.
“We thought it would be easier to look for an apartment as a family, but funnily enough, it felt like it was much harder,” White said. Instead of being told, ‘Oh, we don’t know if you can afford this place,’ we would be told things like ‘Oh, this one-bedroom or this two-bedroom might not actually work for your family’ or ‘no children allowed here.’ ”
After “months and months” of searching, they eventually found someone that would rent to them. Though there were some red flags, such as the landlord only accepting cash as rent payment, they took the place.
“Out of desperation, we decided okay, this guy said we could come in, so let’s go. That ended up being one of the biggest mistakes we ever made,” White said.
Housing discrimination faced by Indigenous People
Sheila Warner is Gitxsan, a member of the wolf clan, and her spirit name is May-may-zey May-ga-zay, Eagle from all Directions. She is a licensed paralegal with Aboriginal Legal Services, working primarily in eviction prevention.
One major housing issue that Warner sees with the community she serves – low-income Indigenous people in Toronto – is related to Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) and the idea of being incorrectly identified as overhoused.
“If a family has a two-bedroom apartment or a three-bedroom apartment and CAS [Children’s Aid Society] apprehends one or two children then that tenant is suddenly overhoused and they try and evict them for that,” Warner explained. “However, in order to get their child back, CAS requires that they have a bedroom for each child that are of the opposite sex or if it’s the same sex there is only so many years they can be apart to share a bedroom. So, then your housing is at risk, your children are gone, and now you have no way to get them back because they are not going to give them back unless you have that housing.”
Troubles with landlords
While she advocates for her clients regularly, Warner said that she finds it challenging to advocate for herself as she also faces discrimination in her housing.
“I am experiencing it this week with my own landlord,” she said. “I have lived in this place for almost 10 years, so my rent is significantly lower than what market rent is right now. The upstairs tenants have just moved out, so he has in turn started harassing me and yelling at me. He doesn’t talk to me, he screams at me, and he seems to think that this is okay.”
Recently, while her landlord was yelling at her for letting a neighbour park in her parking space, Warner told him and his wife that instead of being concerned about a minor parking issue, they should look at the mould in her bathroom that she has been asking them to take care of for years. Warner says that the landlord’s wife turned to her and told her that if she had a problem with the mould, she could move out.
“I know my rights and I can professionally defend myself, but it is so stressful that I can’t,” Warner said. “I am dealing with other people’s housing stuff all day that when it comes to dealing with my own, I end up putting up with it. And also, it is cheap rent, so I let them push me around.”
White, the actor and mother, also reports being treated poorly by one landlord.
After leaving the apartment in Scarborough, her and her family ended up renting an apartment from White’s old college professor. They loved the apartment, but the landlord of the building made it difficult for them to enjoy their stay.
“He would make rude comments to us under his breath. He wouldn’t greet us like he would greet all the other tenants…And if he did talk to us, it was in a really stern, angry, aggressive voice,” White said.
What can be done?
While the three women felt frustrated and disappointed by their experiences trying to rent an apartment in the GTA, they expressed optimism that things can get better for racialized and low-income renters.
White hopes that discussions like the one at the workshop “can lead to changes and reforms and maybe a bit more ruling for private landlords in terms of how they choose who they are renting to.”
The Aboriginal Legal Services, where Warner works, has recently begun offering an Indigenous circle where people from all backgrounds can go to engage in alternative dispute resolution.
“I think when people sit down and they discuss with their landlord what is happening and they can tell their side of the story, the landlord is forced to see them as a person and not a name and number on a file in their office, and that is really beneficial,” Warner said.
For Jennings, as a former youth in care who is now immersed in social justice work, “it is important to me that a worker understands the systemic nature of homelessness and implements anti-oppression practices whenever possible. It is important that a supporter understands the child welfare system, the realities of youth from care.…And finally, it is important that a supporter is culturally competent and how my race impacts the likelihood of securing safe housing,” she said.
“I don’t think that stable housing is a want. I think it is a need and is a social determinant of health,” she added. “It is my hope that youth who age out of the system can experience safety and what it feels like to be home.”
These stories from Dorrett, Jasmine and Sheila were first shared during a workshop on systemic discrimination in housing that took place on July 6, 2021. The workshop was organized by CCHR and the Right to Housing Toronto as part of a virtual workshop series that addresses the critical challenges in advancing the right to housing.
The Government of Canada’s National Housing Strategy (NHS) commits to address the housing needs of the most vulnerable, promote community building and encourage partnerships to advance the right to housing. How will this be done?
This pamphlet examines the extent to which governmental budgeting and resource allocation is contributing to meeting the goals the federal government has set out in the NHS, as well as its commitments to implement the right to housing as outlined in the National Housing Strategy Act (NHSA).
A breakdown of federal funding commitments and provincial contributions that have been made to implement the NHS
An assessment of critical shortcomings and gaps in investments needed to meet the government’s right to housing commitments
Actions needed to secure the right to housing through NHS funding mechanisms
This pamphlet was produced by the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR) and the National Right to Housing Network (NRHN).
Throughout 2021, CCHR and the National Right to Housing Network (NRHN) held a series of regional workshops with local partners across Canada.
During these workshops, participants identified the systemic issues that prevent people from realizing their right to housing, including issues faced by: Indigenous people, women-led households, persons with disabilities, members of racialized groups, immigrants and refugees, members of LGBTQ2S+ communities and people with low incomes.
Participants have also proposed solutions for how this right can be claimed under the National Housing Strategy Act (NHSA).
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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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