A brief history of housing as a human right in Canada
The right to adequate housing is a human right for everyone in Canada.
The human right to adequate housing means that all people are equally entitled to live in dignity in a safe and secure home. Everyone should be able to access housing that meets their needs without discrimination or harassment.
Having an affordable, suitable and safe place to live helps people and families succeed and thrive.
Housing as a human right is an important precondition for several other human rights, including the rights to life, work, health, social security, vote, and education.
The human right to adequate housing is not a new concept. It is a fundamental human right that is recognized under international law, as early as the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Canada committed to the progressive realization of the right to housing and an adequate standard of living in 1976 when its signature on the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights came into force.
Canada's commitment to the human right to adequate housing was reaffirmed in 2019 when Parliament passed the National Housing Strategy Act (the Act). The Act recognizes housing as a human right and commits the federal government to further the progressive realization of the human right to adequate housing. The Act establishes accountability tools to help promote and monitor the right to housing in Canada, including:
- A National Housing Strategy, to advance the progressive realization of the human right to adequate housing;
- A National Housing Council, of which the Federal Housing Advocate is an ex officio member, to oversee the implementation of the strategy; and
- A Federal Housing Advocate, to promote and protect the right to housing in Canada.
The Federal Housing Advocate's role is the first of its kind in Canada and unique in the world, with a mandate to promote and protect the right to housing for all.