6/25/2019: (En Francais) GREAT NEWS! Bill C-97 containing the National Housing Strategy Act and the right to housing passed the Senate on June 20. The bill received Royal Assent Friday, June 21.
Thank you!!
Achieving the right to housing in Canada is the product of advocacy by thousands of people from coast to coast to coast. Groups like the Right to Housing Coalition and countless individuals and organizations have fought tenaciously - against very long odds - for decades with protest, advocacy and court challenges to make this day possible.
This is just the beginning. As the the National Housing Strategy Act becomes law, efforts will now have to shift to making sure the right to housing becomes real. We have to ensure the right to housing survives the coming federal election, that the federal government builds a strong Housing Council and advocate, that these accountability mechanisms are tested and the government honours their right to housing commitments and works to eliminate homelessness and address many housing inequities and the acute housing needs faced by millions of people. We also have to continue to build support for the right to housing and ensure it lives in provincial and municipal jurisdiction and applies to Indigenous Peoples.
But now is a time for celebration! We have achieved a major milestone for housing rights in Canada - a milestone that would not have been possible without you.
Thank you!