Research publications

The Government of Canada introduced An Act respecting a national housing strategy (short title: National Housing Strategy Act) in April 2019 as part of Bill C-97, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 19, 2019 and other measures (short title: Budget Implementation Act, 2019, No. 1). Canada’s first national housing strategy, originally announced in November 2017, is informed by a human rights-based approach to housing. The strategy states that “housing rights are human rights” and that the plan “will contribute to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and affirm the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.” Nevertheless, during the consultations leading up to the strategy, it quickly became clear that Canadians have different ideas about what housing rights they are entitled to. Housing rights are complex. First, they are hard to define; they are not simply a “right to shelter.” Second, it can be difficult to separate housing rights from other rights and freedoms, such as the right to own property. In addition, housing rights are difficult to uphold and enforce. In Canada, all levels of government are responsible for upholding these rights. Third parties, such as landlords, are also obliged to respect certain housing rights. Furthermore, it is sometimes unclear who is entitled to housing rights. This can depend on the context in which people claim a right, for example, the region where they live or the group with which they identify. In some cases, it is unclear whether any Canadian can claim certain housing rights under domestic law. This publication describes how Canadians’ housing rights are defined and upheld.