Supporting a Human Rights Approach to Housing
One year ago – on February 13, 2024 - Canada’s Federal Housing Advocate, Marie Josèe Houle’s final report and recommendations on housing encampments in Canada found that encampment residents are at dire risk of harm due to the failure to uphold their basic rights; and that the encampments exist only because of a larger, systemic failure to uphold the right of all people to adequate housing without discrimination.
The Advocate called for an urgent, coordinated human rights response to address the needs of the unhoused. She asked all levels of government to center choice and to protect the human rights and dignity of individuals at the heart of this issue.
In an open letter on the anniversary of her report the Advocate reiterated her call to Canada’s Premiers, as jurisdictions across the country start to receive federal funding through the Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampments Initiative. $250 million in federal funds are available through the program, to be matched by provincial and municipal funding, for housing action plans that are human rights-based and community-oriented.
The Housing Advocate’s recommendations to provincial and territorial governments include:
- commit to a human rights-based approach to address the needs of encampment residents;
- respect the inherent rights of Indigenous Peoples;
- take immediate action to respect and protect the human rights and dignity of all people living in encampments and reduce the risks that they face;
- implement immediate measures to address the root causes of encampments and provide access to adequate housing;
- ensure government accountability and that people experiencing homelessness have access to justice.
The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission supports all recommendations contained within the Housing Advocate’s report. Ensuring that all people have access to permanent, affordable, and adequate housing requires all levels of government to commit to urgent action centering the experiences of the unhoused and their rights.
The preceding is a statement from Joseph Fraser, Director & CEO of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission.