QUESTION PERIOD — Canadian Human Rights Commission
Federal Housing Advocate
November 3, 2020
Honourable senators, my question is also for Senator Gold and concerns the federal housing advocate.
Canadians have now been waiting for over a year for this appointment, as Senator Lankin pointed out. The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing acknowledged the housing strategy as a step forward that recognized housing as a fundamental human right essential to the inherent dignity and well-being of the person.
With 235,000 homeless people in Canada; 1.34 million households in need of core housing; acute affordability problems in several cities; and with Indigenous, Black and people of colour disproportionately excluded from adequate housing, the rights to housing will not be meaningfully realized without implementing the accountability measures set out in the act, in particular, the independent oversight provided by the federal housing advocate.
Among the other goals, Canada has committed to reducing chronic homelessness by 50% by 2027-28. In the absence of external oversight by the federal housing advocate, how is this progress being independently evaluated in order to ensure accountability and results?
Senator, thank you for raising this issue. The government agrees that the right to adequate housing is a fundamental human right. That’s why it enacted, in the Budget Implementation Act, the National Housing Strategy Act.
As I explained in my answer to Senator Lankin, however, things have moved — unfortunately for reasons too familiar here — more slowly. But nonetheless, as I indicated, applications have been closed, candidates are being evaluated and announcements will be made in the appropriate time.
Is it possible to get an update on how accountability has been monitored in the interim?
I will certainly make inquiries and report back.
Thank you very much.
