AGE WITH DIGNITY, UPHOLD HOUSING HUMAN RIGHTS IN CANADA
The National Pensioners Federation has embarked on reinvigorating our Housing Committee advocacy to support the thousands of housing rights advocates across Canada to achieve the progressive right to adequate housing under the National Housing Strategy Act, 2019 and International Law including the United Nations International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights.
National Pensioners Federation recent submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA Committee) underlined 24 recommendations that we urge the government to immediately address on the growing housing crisis and end the harm created by the financialization of housing by upholding housing human rights protections for all.
Financialization of housing treats housing as a for-profit investment and not as a home, not as a human right and social need. Predatory financialization of seniors housing results in economic stress on elders; to pay rent that is beyond their means, to live in housing that is not appropriate nor affordable, can push seniors to homelessness as well as compromise their dignity, their well-being, their independence and their very lives.
Escalating rents of 20% to 25% or more year-over-year, evictions and renovictions serve to destroy community, foster global and social inequality, reduces affordability in our towns and cities and place costs on Canadian taxpayers and the Canadian economy. This occurs at the time that the majority (78%) of Canadian seniors wish to age in place but only 26% anticipate that they will be able to do so.
As Marie-Josée Houle, Canada’s Federal Housing Advocate has said, housing is a human right is not just a slogan – and applicable at ALL levels of government. Financialization of housing did not always exist but is a result of policy by the federal government in the 1990s that allowed the “market” to provide for Canadians’ housing needs and is also a result of provincial governments rolling back renter protections. It is URGENT that ALL levels of government immediately act to address what Marie-Josée Houle, Canada’s Federal Housing Advocate is now referring to as Canada’s housing emergency and to uphold Canadians’ human right to housing.
The NPF Submission BRIEF follows from the National Pensioners Federation’s WEBINAR on April 4, 2023 regarding “ Aging with Dignity with Affordable Housing “ which provided additional insight regarding the issues and priorities of Housing Advocates across Canada.
You can find our webinar below:
We hope you will join us in our advocacy, together we are stronger!
As well as presenting independent policy position briefs to Parliamentary Leaders derived from debated resolutions presented to our Biennial National Conventions, we provide Federal lobby support for improvements to all things concerning Ageing Canadians.