Renewing Canada's National Housing Strategy

A comprehensive report on improving Canada's affordable housing challenge

OTTAWA, ON, April 17, 2023 /CNW/ - The National Housing Council has submitted a report to the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion with recommendations on improving the National Housing Strategy.

The report entitled Renewing Canada's National Housing Strategy is a comprehensive review of the federal government's national housing strategy, and Canada's progress toward achieving its goals. The report was developed following series of research activities, analysis, and stakeholder engagements. It recommends changes to the strategy to address the growing housing challenges faced by low-income households and Canadians facing deepest housing need.

The National Housing Council's report concludes that:

• Many low- and moderate-income families in Canada struggle to access affordable, safe, suitable, and adequate housing.
• Canada is losing affordable housing faster and in greater quantities than the National Housing Strategy programs are producing it. According to recent estimates, between 2011 and 2021 over 550 000 units of housing that offered rents for $750/month or less has been lost. The National Housing Strategy as originally designed only had a target to produce 150 000+ new units.
• 30 years of federal absence from direct housing investments has significantly impacted the creation and maintenance of non-market housing in Canada. The National Housing Strategy programs remain focused on market housing and do not meaningfully improve affordable housing supply in Canada.
• Current NHS program design has had limited impact on adequately responding to those in greatest need of access to affordable housing and more specifically to priority groups identified in the strategy. Overall, the units produced so far do little to reduce the number of households in core housing need or facing homelessness. The current programs often exclude those who are meant to be supported by the Strategy.
• Misaligned or uncoordinated jurisdictional responses reduces effectiveness and impact and add complexity for housing providers serving the most vulnerable.

The National Housing Strategy provided a starting point for government leadership and actions on affordable housing challenges in Canada. Since the Strategy was publicly released in 2017, housing issues in Canada have continued to deteriorate and it will be increasingly challenging for Canada's most vulnerable to access adequate and affordable housing that meets their needs.  Compounding and rapidly changing global and national trends have magnified these challenges for those facing economic hardship. Renewing the Strategy with the recommendations we offer will create concrete, measurable improvements in housing and in the lives of Canadians.

Recommendations:

• Changes be made to the National Housing Strategy and its programs to bring them into greater alignment with the National Housing Strategy Act and its goals of realizing the right to housing, reducing core housing need, ending homelessness, and addressing inequitable housing outcomes for equity-seeking populations.
• The Government of Canada establish new affordable housing targets and redirect associated corresponding funding to increase the share of non-market housing stock in Canada, including programs to acquire, build, renovate and protect the non-market housing stock to preserve and expand housing affordability in perpetuity.
• The existing Canada Housing Benefit be enhanced and scaled up to provide financial support and bridge the affordability gap for households in core housing need who are living in adequate but unaffordable housing and who are at risk of experiencing homelessness.
• A separate funding stream be established to provide immediate, sustained, and equitable levels of investment in urban, rural, and northern Indigenous housing programs that are designed and administered by an Indigenous controlled body. There was some progress made in Budget 2023 with the announcement of $4 Billion over 7 years starting in 2024 to implement a co-developed urban, rural, and indigenous Housing Strategy. However, this falls short of our recommendation for at least $6.3 billion for the next two fiscal years.
• There is a need for clear unified leadership within the Government of Canada on housing and homelessness. The government of Canada should initiate steps to improve accountability and coordination among its own departments and with all orders of government.

Quote:

"In the first five years of the National Housing Strategy, we have all learned a lot about what works and does not work in pursuing the goals of the Strategy. This report is designed to be a contribution to the continuous improvement of the Strategy and most importantly to support improved housing outcomes for those people in greatest need of access to adequate and affordable housing." — Tim Richter, Co-Chair, National Housing Council

Quick Facts:

• The report Renewing Canada's National Housing Strategy is based on surveys and key informant interviews, six consultation sessions with over 400 experts, stakeholders, and rights holders, and seven commissioned research reports.
• The scope of this report reflects the original scope of the National Housing Strategy and the housing policy of Canada, as outlined in the National Housing Strategy Act, specifically the progressive realization of the right to housing.
• The introduction of the National Housing Strategy in 2017, the National Housing Strategy Act in 2019 and the major investments in housing and homelessness the government has made since, marked the essential and welcomed return of the federal government to leadership on housing.

Associated links:

Renewing Canada's National Housing Strategy – a Report by the National Housing Council

About the National Housing Council

The National Housing Council is an advisory body that promotes participation and inclusion in the development of Canada's housing policy. We provide advice to the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion on urgent housing issues — including how to improve the National Housing Strategy. Our work puts marginalized voices and the needs of those made vulnerable by systemic issues at the forefront.

About the National Housing Strategy

The National Housing Strategy was announced in 2017, housing issues across Canada were reaching a critical point. The National Housing Strategy offered the promise of a renewed vision for housing in Canada including steps to progressively implement the right of every Canadian to access adequate housing. It also gives priority to actions and outcomes to support those people in greatest need of access to adequate and affordable housing options.

About the National Housing Strategy Act

Canada's Parliament passed the National Housing Strategy Act in 2019. It recognizes housing as a human right and commits the federal government to help make this a reality. The Act established:

• A Housing Policy Declaration that includes the progressive realization of the right to adequate housing as recognized in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
• The National Housing Council (the Council) and defined its mandate.
• The Federal Housing Advocate; and
• Review Panels

For more information on the National Housing Council, visit our web site and follow us on Twitter.

SOURCE National Housing Council

Media contact: To arrange an interview with the National Housing Council regarding this report, journalists may make a request by emailing [email protected]