What is a systemic housing issue
The Federal Housing Advocate examines how laws, policies and programs should be changed to address systemic housing issues and ensure the progressive realization of the right to housing. Rather than a focus on providing individual remedies, the Advocate is empowered to recommend changes to improve housing outcomes for groups of people experiencing the greatest need.
Inadequate housing and homelessness are complex, institutional and systemic problems. Fixing systemic housing issues means that we need to take a very wide look at the many factors that create inadequate housing, housing need, and homelessness.
A systemic housing issue is an issue which inhibits the full and equal enjoyment of the right to adequate housing in Canada and is rooted in the housing system or other public and private-market systems. As directed by the National Housing Strategy Act, the Advocate will prioritize systemic housing issues affecting Indigenous peoples, disadvantaged groups and people experiencing inadequate housing or homelessness.
A systemic housing issue can result from, or be influenced by, actions or inactions by governments or private actors related to legislation, policies, programs, regulations, decision-making processes, spending priorities, business practices, administrative and operational requirements and/or attitudes. Systemic housing issues often intersect with other forms of disadvantage and discrimination, including colonialism, racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism and stigmatization/discrimination based on poverty, homelessness or other social conditions.
The Advocate's focus on systemic issues will include approaches that recognize that racism, poverty, colonialism, sexism, homophobia, ableism and other structural inequalities can create barriers to access to, and the full enjoyment of, the right to adequate housing.
Individual housing problems
The Advocate's main focus is to push for change to solve systemic housing issues. It is important to recognize that the Federal Housing Advocate does not help with individual cases. People who need help with an individual circumstance should pursue other mechanisms, such as a Landlord-Tenant Board, legal clinic, human rights commission or other mechanism in their province or territory. Find help from other agencies and support services.
If you are seeking assistance regarding a housing rights situation or concern, we invite you to contact the United Way 211 service. It is a non-emergency helpline for essential social services, community organizations, health and government programs. It helps people navigate these programs and services quickly and easily.
Their housing services include: help finding housing, health-related temporary housing, home improvement for accessibility, home ownership, housing expense assistance, tenant and landlord support, legal clinics, and supportive and transitional housing, among others.
Making recommendations
The Advocate is empowered to conduct their own independent review of any systemic housing issue found in a submission and make recommendations to the Minister responsible for housing.
The Advocate's review helps to identify solutions and necessary reforms to Canada's housing laws, policies and programs. This mechanism is a way to target the most critical systemic issues, as well as urge the government to take action on them. It also gives members of affected communities an opportunity to be included and participate in the process, and to contribute to housing policy and solutions.
Following the Advocate-led review of a systemic housing issue, the Advocate must provide the Minister responsible for housing, and the person or group that presented the submission with a report. The report explains the Advocate's opinion on the issue, and any recommendations — respecting matters over which Parliament has jurisdiction — to further the housing policy, including the progressive realization of the right to adequate housing, or the national housing strategy.
The Minister must respond to each report from the Advocate within 120 days. The Advocate may also provide recommendations to other levels of government, but these bodies do not have the same statutory responsibility to respond.
Review panels
Under the National Housing Strategy Act, the Advocate may decide to refer a systemic housing issue that falls under the jurisdiction of Parliament to the National Housing Council, and request that it form a review panel of three council members to examine the issue.
The review panel holds a hearing and must offer the public an opportunity to participate – particularly members of affected communities and groups that have expertise in human rights and housing.
The panel then prepares a report with conclusions and recommendations for the federal Minister responsible for housing, who must respond within 120 days and table that response in the House of Commons and the Senate.