The Advocate calls on the Prime Minister, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, Finance Minister, other members of Cabinet, and all Parliamentarians to recognize and implement the human right to adequate housing, as legislated in the National Housing Strategy Act.
In 2023, the Government of Canada should:
- Establish a Cabinet working table to develop an all-of-government action plan on implementing the human right to adequate housing in accordance with the National Housing Strategy Act. The table should include the Ministers whose portfolios interact with housing, such as Health, Mental Health and Addictions, Justice, Indigenous Services, Crown-Indigenous Relations, Veterans’ Affairs, Intergovernmental Affairs, Employment and Disability Inclusion, Families and Social Development, Immigration, Women and Gender Equality, and Seniors.
Key elements of the action plan should include:- Taking an all-of-government approach in responding to the housing and homelessness crisis, recognizing the crucial links between access to adequate housing and all key areas of Canada’s economic and social policy, including health, justice, and immigration.
- Developing a mechanism similar to Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA+) to apply the requirements of progressive realization of the right to housing in all budgets, laws, policy and program development that affect housing and homelessness, such as through Treasury Board Submissions and Memoranda to Cabinet.
- Making a commitment by Cabinet officials to acknowledge, and raise awareness about, the human right to housing.
Annex B – The Federal Housing Advocate’s final recommendations.