Can Canada create 2 million homes that are affordable for the people in greatest need? Carolyn Whitzman says, “sure!”
Whitzman is an Expert Advisor to the Housing Assessment Resource Tools (HART) project. The project is part of the Housing Research Collaborative, which is based at the University of British Columbia. As part of the HART project, Whitzman has great access to data and to people who are knowledgeable about the right to adequate housing and what that means for Canada’s housing programs going forward.
In a recent post at the National Right to Housing Network, Whitzman identifies:
- who is in the greatest need of housing
- that national housing policies and programs are not helping the people in greatest need at present
- program changes needed to provide adequate housing for those in greatest need and how much it will cost
- new/altered roles and responsibilities for federal, provincial, territorial and local governments and
- sources of funding and savings.
Why does this matter?
Canada formally adopted the right to adequate housing in 2019. The right, which makes direct reference to the United Nations’ guidance on Right To Adequate Housing, sets new expectations for Canada’s housing and homelessness policies and programs.
The UN’s guidance directs that priority be given to improving the housing conditions of those in greatest need. The people who are in greatest need have very low incomes. Canada’s National Housing Strategy launched in 2017 with goals to add to the supply of affordable housing. New housing has been built, but at best two of every 100 new ‘affordable’ homes is actually affordable for the people in greatest need1.
Whitzman’s post provides a framework for Canada to follow. For readers outside Canada, her post is a practical demonstration of how to apply the UN’s guidance on the right to affordable housing in a specific context. It also includes reference to policies in other countries.
You can read Whitzman’s post at the National Right To Housing Network: The Housing Tell: A “Two Million Homes” Program
