Federal Housing Advocate's 2024–2025 Annual Report

Advocate's message

As Canada's first Federal Housing Advocate, it is my privilege to present my 2024–2025 Annual Report to the Minister, which marks the final year of my first mandate. I was recently re-appointed for a second three-year term until 2028, and I am so excited to carry on this important work.

As a housing rights accountability mechanism, the Federal Housing Advocate is in the unique position of serving as a bridge between people with lived experience, organizations in the housing and homelessness sector, and lawmakers. My office and I carry out our work in an independent and non-partisan way, which is why we are based at the Canadian Human Rights Commission and not a federal department.

I am endlessly proud of the hard work we have accomplished this year. My report in partnership with Métis Nation – Saskatchewan is the first of its kind in Canada to comprehensively examine Métis housing conditions first-hand.

On the heels of releasing our report on homeless encampments in February 2024, we continued to engage with rights holders and duty bearers, monitor outcomes, advocate for and create tools to support governments at all levels in to address our recommendations. We were pleased to see the initial response from the federal government, which included a new investment of $250M in the 2024-2025 budget to be matched by the provinces and territories for human rights-based solutions to encampments.

Throughout the year, my team and I have continued to build relationships and trust with people across the country by engaging with rights holders, amplifying the voices of people with lived experience, and pushing for meaningful accountability mechanisms to ensure that governments uphold their human rights obligations. Hearing first-hand from people who are most disadvantaged is central to my role. I am here to make sure their voices reach decisionmakers. Their experiences hold the key to understanding what inequities need to be addressed and what programs will work.

The housing crisis remains one of the most pressing social and economic challenges facing the country, requiring immediate and coordinated government action.

The affordability of housing is becoming increasingly uncertain, exacerbated by inflation and rising costs of living. In addition, ongoing trade tensions introduce further economic instability, making it harder for individuals and families to maintain housing security. These challenges underscore the need for future governments to take proactive interventions and long-term solutions that prioritize affordability, stability, and human rights in housing policies.

The federal government, and future governments, must continue to prioritize a human rights-based approach to housing and homelessness. We must engage the people most affected by the housing and homelessness crisis, and put them at the centre of our policy-making. The path forward must not only address the immediate needs of those in housing precarity but also create a sustainable, long-term strategy to ensure that every person in Canada has access to adequate housing. The housing and homelessness crisis is solvable, but only if policy decisions reflect the urgency and scale of the challenge.

While progress has been made, systemic barriers persist. We know that more must be done to ensure sustainable funding, policy coordination, and accountability mechanisms that protect the rights of those most affected by housing insecurity.

The recommendations I make in this annual report are aimed at offering coordinated solutions the government can take to address these challenges and implement human rights-based responses. They include, among others, the need to reinforce the accountability mechanisms under the National Housing Strategy Act, implement an all-of-government action approach to housing as a human right, invest in First Nations, Inuit and Métis housing and infrastructure, strengthen the National Housing Strategy and Canada's Housing Plan, and lay the groundwork to begin shaping the next National Housing Strategy.

Making these recommendations is a key part of the Federal Housing Advocate's role – to act as an accountability mechanism so that governments adopt best practices and address longstanding calls for adequate housing for Indigenous and disadvantaged peoples in Canada.

I am also here as a resource for governments – to provide the research and recommendations they need to implement housing policy that works. Governments can draw on my work on the ground to understand their obligations and my tools to guide their policy-making. I am able to build trust where governments often cannot, and I can connect with and amplify input and recommendations from the grassroots to aid meaningful engagement so that housing laws, policies and programs are human rights compliant.

I am honoured to have been re-appointed for another three-year term until February 2028. I will continue my work on Indigenous housing, prioritize housing for youth, and advocate for accessible housing for seniors and people with disabilities. I will also continue to monitor the implementation of the recommendations I provided governments during my first term. I am excited to continue building relationships with people in disadvantaged circumstances and leaders alike to drive meaningful solutions for those impacted by the housing and homelessness crisis. Equally important will be to monitor and advance the progress of our work so far, and engage with rightsholders to explore key issues that matter to all Canadians.

However, my team and I cannot do this work without adequate resources. The funding allocated to my office in the 2024 federal budget was reduced by over 50%. Despite my mandate being extended until 2028, this reduced funding is set to expire in March 2026. While we have made progress on key issues, the past year has required us to make many difficult decisions.

The uncertainty and limited resources have compromised my ability to do the important work I was appointed to do: to serve people in Canada and help realize the human right to housing for all. In short, we will have difficulty fulfilling our role of amplifying the voices of those impacted by the housing crisis and urging the government to implement human rights-based solutions that create meaningful change. This not only weakens our ability to act but also compromises Canada's global leadership in advancing human rights at a time when it is needed most.

What is at risk here is bigger than me or my office. It is about people experiencing homelessness and living in encampments, for whom every day is a struggle for survival. It is about people living pay cheque to pay cheque, at risk of having their apartment building being bought by a financialized company and being evicted or unable to afford rent. It is about Indigenous families facing overcrowding or mold in their homes and battling chronic health issues as a result. It is about people with disabilities, who are overrepresented in all aspects of inadequate housing and homelessness.

In short, it is about our most basic human rights – the right of every person to live in a safe, secure, affordable home.

We want Canada to succeed. We want our work and our research to inform meaningful change and policies. Canada needs a Federal Housing Advocate that has the resources to hold governments to account, to offer guidance and real-time research from the field directly to policy-makers, and to ensure that housing outcomes benefit people and respect their human rights.

Canada has recognized that housing is a fundamental human right. This promise must be backed up with the resources to make this right a reality for everyone from coast to coast to coast.

Sincerely,

Marie-Josée Houle
Federal Housing Advocate
Canadian Human Rights Commission

Our work in the last year

Housing and homelessness continue to be top of mind issues for most people in Canada. In the last year, decision-makers took some steps forward with policies to address the seriousness of the housing crisis.

At the same time, people living in vulnerable housing circumstances have not yet seen the change that has been promised. There has been little relief for rising rent costs. People living in encampments continue to be denied their basic human rights and fundamental needs. Infrastructure gaps and poor living conditions for Indigenous communities continue to go unaddressed.

This is why, in the last year, we continued to push governments for swift action to tackle the housing and homelessness crisis. Our work at the Office of the Federal Housing Advocate continues to offer human rights-based guidance to decision-makers and inform meaningful policy change. The independent, expert work of the Advocate offers solutions to decision-makers that are evidence-based and that reflect the voices of those who are most disadvantaged.

Our focus in the past year was on advancing our recommendations with federal minister, premiers, housing ministers and regional housing corporation leaders to drive change on these systemic issues and guide them to implement effective, human rights-based housing policy.

Ensuring governments uphold the rights and dignity of encampment residents

In 2024–2025, we continued our advocacy to ensure all governments implement the recommendations that emerged from the Advocate's national, systemic review of homeless encampments.

The Advocate's final report on encampments, released on February 13, 2024, called for a national response to this human rights crisis and outlined the steps governments at all levels must take to meet their human rights obligations. The report urged the federal government to lead on this issue by developing a national encampments response plan that protects the lives, dignity and human rights of people living in encampments, while working towards permanent housing and long-term solutions. The Advocate recommended that governments end forced evictions, respect inherent Indigenous rights, act to save lives by providing basic necessities for life, and address the root causes of encampments.

Throughout the year, the Advocate continued to engage with Indigenous leadership, municipalities, local advocates, and the federal government to monitor and follow up on the recommendations.

Funding for community and human rights-based responses

We were pleased to see the initial response from the federal government, which included a new investment of $250 million in the 2024 budget for human rights-based community encampment response plans to be matched by the provinces and territories. This shift in recognition of the need for a human rights-based approach to encampments is a pivotal turning point. While welcoming the new federal funding, the Advocate also cautioned, in a statement and a letter to the Minister in October 2024, that there must be clear guidelines to ensure this funding is used for encampment community action plans that are consistent with a human rightsbased approach. Prior to releasing the statement, the Advocate also heard from a number of stakeholders who had participated in the review, who underlined the need for a greater sense of urgency as well as government transparency and accountability as this funding is rolled out.

To mark the one-year anniversary of the release of the report in February 2025, and in light of the federal funding starting to be disbursed across the country, the Advocate wrote an open letter addressed to Canada's Premiers. She reiterated her call for a human rights-based approach to encampments. These new resources are an opportunity to meaningfully improve the lives of people living in encampments and provide them with adequate housing. However, more money does not guarantee success. A human rights-based approach is the most effective way to address encampments. It puts people experiencing homelessness at the centre of our efforts to find meaningful solutions.

Her calls to action urged Canada's Premiers to work with the targeted municipalities to ensure community action plans take a human rights-based approach. We must ensure that everyone has access to permanent, affordable, and adequate housing. While we work to make that a reality for all, there is an urgent need to protect the lives, dignity, and human rights of people living in encampments.

Resources to support governments

Also in the last year, we developed resources to support governments to take human rights-based approaches to encampments. We published a fact sheet for provinces and territories and a fact sheet for municipalities to highlight the Advocate's recommendations that are most applicable to them in order to meet their human rights obligations. We also worked with local stakeholders to document good practices that can inform how municipalities can meaningfully engage with encampment residents in finding solutions. We look forward to publishing these in 2025–2026.

Encampments jurisprudence

Finally, in 2024–2025, we worked with legal scholars to provide a summary of the legal obligations related to encampments and the most recent jurisprudence across the country. This report provides a legal evidence-base to understand how encampments should be treated by the law in Canada. It also suggests that more opportunities exist for novel legal avenues to pursue, such as arguments related to the potential of the National Housing Strategy Act to serve as a legal basis for claims on federal lands or federal obligations to unhoused peoples, the inherent rights of Indigenous Peoples who are acutely over-represented in encampments, and the application of other sections of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Much work remains to be done to solidify a human rights-based approach to encampments across Canada. The ultimate goal must be to get people into adequate housing options as quickly as possible. In the meantime, we must take steps to respect the dignity and human rights of people experiencing homelessness and living in encampments.

Advocating for the right to housing for Métis in Saskatchewan

In 2024–2025, the Office of the Federal Housing Advocate launched a report in partnership with the Métis Nation – Saskatchewan that raises serious concerns about the high rate of housing precarity and homelessness in Métis communities across the province.

It is one of the only reports in Canada to comprehensively examine and document Métis housing conditions first-hand. It is the culmination of the Advocate's visit to eight communities throughout Saskatchewan, where it was clear that Métis are facing long-standing challenges to having their human right to housing upheld.

The needs are especially dire in rural, remote and Northern communities. The Advocate visited communities that did not have an emergency shelter, a women's shelter, nor a food bank. This lack of emergency support means that people in dangerous situations do not have a safe space to turn to. Many of the homes in Northern communities are aging and in need of expensive maintenance and repairs. Exorbitant utility costs and people living in poorly insulated buildings made heating homes difficult, if not impossible.

Across the province, in both large urban centres and in small communities, the Advocate met housing providers who are overwhelmed by the impacts of the drug toxicity crisis. Many people need housing with wrap-around social and health supports to be successfully housed, but there is simply not enough of it. Often, they are left with no other option than to sleep rough on the streets or in encampments.

The good news is that there are successful Métis-led approaches that address housing need in innovative ways. The Advocate met with many communities and provincial organizations that are working to address pressing housing needs. It is critical that decision-makers at all levels recognize and embrace unique Métis ways of knowing and doing in order to find culturally appropriate, responsive, and effective solutions to housing and homelessness.

This report provides the foundation for conversations around solutions and transformational change at all levels of government. It makes recommendations to all levels of government to remove barriers and recognize the right to housing for Métis in Saskatchewan. In particular, the recommendations call for the recognition of Métis self-government and the transfer of programs in Saskatchewan to Métis jurisdiction.

Following the launch of the report, the recommendations were discussed in meetings with federal ministers and senators, as well as with the Saskatchewan provincial government. They will continue to be an important advocacy tool for the Metis Nation – Saskatchewan with the province and at the federal treaty negotiation table. They will also push forward plans for future investments from all levels of government to ensure adequate housing for Métis in Saskatchewan. Finally, the report will continue to drive the Federal Housing Advocate's work on housing for rural, remote and Northern communities in general.

In February, the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities shared his response to the Federal Housing Advocate's report.

Monitoring the right to adequate housing for people with disabilities

In 2024–2025, the Office of the Federal Housing Advocate and the Canadian Human Rights Commission continued working on a joint monitoring framework on the right to adequate housing for people with disabilities. This framework is the first of its kind. It is an accountability tool that allows us to track and advocate to advance the human right to adequate housing.

Canada believes that everyone has the right to housing that is safe, affordable, and accessible. This right is reaffirmed in the National Housing Strategy Act, and one of the roles of the Federal Housing Advocate is to ensure Canada upholds this right. Canada has also ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the Commission is responsible for monitoring its implementation.

The Office of the Federal Housing Advocate and the Commission are monitoring human rights-based housing outcomes for people with disabilities in eleven key areas, such as homelessness, institutionalization, affordability, and accessibility. The monitoring framework was developed with the input of people with disabilities, their families, and caregivers, including people who have experienced inadequate housing and homelessness.

In the last year, we collected and analyzed Statistics Canada data for the outcome indicators in the framework. The results confirm that people with disabilities face countless barriers in accessing adequate housing. They have poorer housing outcomes in all eleven areas of the framework, and are overrepresented in nearly all aspects of inadequate housing and homelessness.

The data shows that many people with disabilities:

  • don't have the physical aids they need in their homes
  • are more likely to live in housing with poor air quality, unsafe drinking water, mould and/ or pests
  • wait longer for subsidized housing
  • don't get the supports they need to be able to live independently in the community.

The data also confirmed that people with disabilities are:

  • four times more likely to experience homelessness, and more likely to become homeless due to violence
  • more likely to live in unaffordable housing
  • almost twice as likely to live in core housing need (live in housing that is unaffordable, in bad condition, and too small)

Through engagement with disability communities, we also learned that some people with disabilities are turning to medical assistance in dying (MAiD) because they can't access adequate housing and supports. This is unacceptable. Improvements are urgently needed to ensure that people with disabilities can fully realize their human right to adequate housing.

Canada must ensure that all people with disabilities have accessible, affordable, and safe housing, and the supports they need to live with dignity and independence. Our monitoring framework is an accountability tool that allows us to track and advocate for the fundamental human right to adequate housing.

We are using our results to help advance the right to adequate housing for people with disabilities. Our results should inform evidence-based policy-making. People with disabilities and advocates can use our results to advance housing issues. This monitoring framework could also be used as a model to monitor the right to adequate housing for other marginalized groups.

Driving human rights accountability at review panels

In 2024–2025, the Federal Housing Advocate continued to engage with the review panel process.

Review panels are one of the important human rights accountability mechanisms created by the National Housing Strategy Act. Instead of hearing individual complaints about human rights violations, review panels hold hearings on systemic housing issues. Review panels rely on the participation and meaningful engagement of people and communities affected by the systemic issues they are examining.

Upon a request from the Advocate, the National Housing Council must establish an independent review panel. The findings and recommendations of the review panel will be set out in a report to the Minister. The Minister must respond to the report within 120 days and table that response in the House of Commons and the Senate.

Here are some updates on review panels from the last year.

Financialization of purpose-built rental housing

The Federal Housing Advocate welcomed the final report by the review panel on the Financialization of Purpose-Built Rental Housing, which was released on May 29, 2024.

This conclusion of the first-ever human rights-based review panel hearing was a historic moment for the right to housing in Canada. The panel heard from over 200 witnesses from impacted communities, along with human rights and housing experts, who shared their expertise on the issue in the panel's written and oral hearings.

The report illustrates the harm that the financialization of housing is causing to people in Canada. It concluded that tenants in particular are severely impacted by financial practices in the rental housing sector, including those purchasing property solely for short-term financial gain. The panel also noted that the rapid loss of affordable rental housing and long-term underinvestment in non-market housing are most impacting disadvantaged groups and tenants in greatest need.

The Advocate applauded the work of the review panel, and joined its calls to action to better protect tenants and invest in non-market housing for all.

Human rights-based solutions to financialization are urgently needed. The federal government must take up the recommendations issued by the review panel, including measures to increase the supply of affordable, non-market rental housing as well as support the non-market sector, actively protect existing affordable rental supply, and support and protect tenants facing housing precarity.

The right to housing for women, Two-Spirit, trans, and gender-diverse people

In 2024–2025, the Advocate participated in the review panel examining the right to safe, adequate and affordable housing for women, Two-Spirit, trans, and gender diverse people, and the government's duty to uphold this right.

The National Housing Council announced the launch of the second review panel, called Neha, in November 2024 in response to a May 2023 request from the Advocate. Neha is a Kanien'kéha-Mohawk word meaning “our ways”. It describes a way of life that is open, peaceful, supportive and healing. Neha will be a space where people can come together, share their experiences and work together towards solutions.

The Advocate provided her written representations during the written dialogue, and will propose recommendations to the review panel during the oral dialogue. Through submissions, engagements, and visits to communities across Canada, the Advocate has heard directly from hundreds of women, Two-Spirit, trans, non-binary, and gender diverse people about their experiences with homelessness and inadequate housing. These rights holders have courageously spoken out about the devastating impacts of homelessness on their dignity, well-being, and human rights – including grave and lasting harms to their physical and mental health, heightened exposure to violence and sexual exploitation, separation from their children, and discriminatory treatment by landlords, law enforcement, service providers, and the general public.

These impacts are most acute for Indigenous women, Two-Spirit, trans, non-binary, and gender diverse people, with fatal consequences. Housing insecurity and homelessness are among the most important drivers of the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

The Advocate also provided the review panel with more than 120 submissions she has received about gendered homelessness as well as the human rights claims submitted by the National Indigenous Women's Housing Network (NIWHN) and the Women's National Housing and Homelessness Network (WNHHN) to the review panel to inform its findings.

The findings and recommendations of the review panel will be set out in a report to the Minister responsible for housing when the review panel has concluded.

The right to accessible housing

The Federal Housing Advocate is preparing to formally request that the National Housing Council form a review panel to examine the issue of inaccessible housing in Canada. This pervasive issue affects everyone in Canada, with the greatest impact on vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities and seniors.

The Advocate's request will be informed by submissions she received from people with disabilities, and by the data we collected for our monitoring framework on the right to adequate housing for people with disabilities. For example, the data shows that in 2021, only 38% of people with disabilities felt their homes were accessible to people with physical disabilities. In 2022, 16% of people with physical disabilities didn't have the physical aids they needed in their homes. The real numbers are likely significantly higher, since this data focuses on the needs of people with physical disabilities and it excludes people living in institutions.

We will report on the outcomes of this Review Panel request in our 2025–2026 Annual Report.

The right to housing on the national and international stage

In 2024–2025, the Federal Housing Advocate shared her knowledge on the national and international stage to highlight what the right to housing means and why it matters.

As the housing crisis continues to impact people in Canada and in countries across the globe, the right to housing is increasingly drawing interest as the way to tackle issues facing our communities.

A call to action – Canada must strengthen the human right to housing

As the Federal Housing Advocate embarked on a new three-year mandate, she reflected on the need to address the housing crisis as one of the most pressing social and economic challenges facing the country. Her message to the federal government, and future governments, is that they must continue to prioritize a human rights-based approach to housing and homelessness. The path forward must not only address the immediate needs of those in housing precarity but also create a sustainable, long-term strategy to ensure that every person in Canada has access to adequate housing.

While progress has been made, systemic barriers persist. In her recommendations, she urged the federal government to ensure sustainable funding, policy coordination, and accountability mechanisms that protect the rights of those most affected by housing insecurity. A government that embraces these principles will not only uphold human rights but will also build a more just, equitable, resilient and prosperous society for all.

Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories

The Advocate had the honour of appearing before the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories as it studies how housing as a human right can be applied in the territory. The Advocate's message to decision-makers was that every government has a role to play to recognize and uphold the right to housing. She advocated for the provinces and territories to appoint their own housing advocates so that there are independent voices that can drive progress and hold governments of all political stripes accountable. The fact is, incorporating human rights-based approaches into housing policy is a smart decision for governments that makes projects more successful and produces better outcomes for people.

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities

In June 2024, the Advocate appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities during its study on the impacts of federal investments in non-market housing. The Advocate's message to the committee was that federal investments must support non-market housing – it is fundamental to upholding the right to housing, it is the best use of public money, and it is the obligation of the federal government to lead the way. She urged them to prioritize the right kind of supply that meets people's needs. She highlighted that the way forward to a more affordable housing system is by investing in non-market housing – cooperative, non-profit, public, and Indigenous housing – that puts people and human rights first and remains affordable over the long-term. The Advocate shared our research, which shows that Canada needs to double its non-market housing stock from the current 3.5 percent to 7 percent in the short-term, with a long-term target of 20 percent of all units dedicated to non-market housing.

The World Urban Forum

Last year, the Advocate had the honour of presenting at the World Urban Forum in Cairo, Egypt. There, she participated in a panel discussion about the housing of the future and what steps we can take to ensure that people everywhere have access to housing that is dignified and adequate. This United Nations conference was an opportunity to engage and exchange ideas with government representatives, academics, community leaders, and civil society from across the globe. The Federal Housing Advocate's role is the only one in the world and is a unique model that demonstrates the power of advocacy to make change. The Advocate's remarks encouraged other countries to consider adopting similar human rights accountability mechanisms to help support the right to housing and ensure the voices of people who are facing homelessness and inadequate housing reach decision-makers.

Amplifying what we heard

Using the Federal Housing Advocate's online submission tool, anyone in Canada who has faced inadequate housing or homelessness can make a submission and tell the Advocate about their experience. Organizations can also use the online submission platform to submit relevant information to the Advocate.

While the Advocate does not provide remedies for individual cases, this tool is vital in gathering first-hand accounts of inadequate housing and homelessness, in identifying systemic issues across Canada, and in ensuring that the voices of those most affected are heard. The Advocate can also refer submissions to the National Housing Council's review panel process so that they are included in the public hearing examining a specific systemic issue.

What we heard in 2024–2025

In 2024–2025, the submissions we received highlight a troubling trend of systemic barriers in housing, where women, gender diverse individuals, and persons with disabilities face heightened risks of violence, discrimination, and inadequate living conditions, emphasizing the urgent need for safer, more inclusive, and accessible housing solutions.

Note: Since the Federal Housing Advocate has been reappointed until February 2028, all submissions provided during her first term (May 2022 – February 2025) will remain active for identifying systemic housing issues throughout her second mandate.

Women and gender diverse people

Submissions reveal that women and gender diverse individuals in encampments and shelters face heightened risks of violence, discrimination, and insecurity. Many reported experiencing sexual assault, harassment, and physical violence. A trans woman described her time in encampments as “hell,” marked by beatings and theft. A common concern is the fear of being alone outside, leading some women to stay with men for protection. However, this often makes them ineligible for shelters and hotel programs. Many also reported law enforcement failing to intervene in violent situations and shelters being unsafe due to theft, assault, and neglect. While some noted that encampments provided a sense of community, others emphasized that larger encampments became increasingly dangerous, with rising crime and health risks. Many individuals also reported harassment by law enforcement and having their belongings discarded by city workers. These accounts highlight the urgent need for safer, more inclusive shelter and housing options.

People with disabilities

People with disabilities face significant barriers to accessing adequate housing. Many struggle to find accessible housing due to limited availability, long waitlists, and affordability challenges. Poor housing conditions negatively impact physical health, with inaccessible homes increasing the risk of falls and injuries. Housing instability further exacerbates stress and deteriorates overall well-being. Discrimination remains a persistent issue, with some respondents denied housing due to their disability status or financial situation. The high cost of home adaptations, such as ramps and accessible bathrooms, further limits independent living. Expanding accessible housing, financial assistance for adaptations, and stronger tenant protections are essential to ensuring housing stability for persons with disabilities.

Where we go from here – Recommendations

Over the last three years, governments across the country renewed their focus on tackling the housing crisis – and received a lot of advice from many competing voices on how to do it.

The Federal Housing Advocate is responsible for making recommendations to improve Canada's housing laws, policies and programs in order to realize adequate, affordable and safe housing for all.

The independent, expert work of the Advocate has offered meaningful policy recommendations and solutions to decision-makers that are evidence-based and that reflect the voices of those who are most disadvantaged.

Governments at all levels are obliged to commit to human rights-based approaches that uphold the right to housing. The federal government must lead the way on implementing effective measures that strengthen Canada's housing system and lift people out of homelessness.

It is clear that any approach must put people bearing the brunt of the housing crisis at the centre of solutions. As governments invest resources, they need to understand that a housing crisis is a human rights crisis.

The Federal Housing Advocate reports annually to the Minister responsible for housing and can also submit recommendations at any time to the Minister, who is required to respond within 120 days of receiving those reports.

The 2024–2025 Annual Report is also made available to Members of Parliament, stakeholders and the Canadian public to provide a better understanding of the right to housing, the Office's activities, and highlight the Advocate's recommendations to improve housing outcomes for everyone living in Canada.

The Federal Housing Advocate calls upon the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities of Canada, the Prime Minister, other members of Cabinet and the Government of Canada to recognize and implement the following recommendations.

  1. Reinforce accountability mechanisms under the National Housing Strategy Act

    The federal government must reinforce and strengthen its engagement with the accountability mechanisms established under the National Housing Strategy Act (NHSA) while ensuring that they have long-term, sustainable funding.

    1. Implement the recommendations of the Federal Housing Advocate and review panels.
      • Develop an action plan to implement recommendations of the review panel on the financialization of purpose-built rental housing.
      • Put in place a ban on forced evictions of encampments on federal lands and develop a comprehensive National Encampments Response Plan with input from all governments, including Indigenous governments, as well as advocates and people with experience living in encampments as outlined in the Advocate's report, Upholding Dignity and Human Rights. For more details, see recommendation 4B.
      • Work with Inuit leaders and the governments of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunatsiavut and Nunavut to implement the recommendations of the Federal Housing Advocate's Observational Report on Inuit Housing. For more details, see recommendations 3C, 3D and 3E.
      • Work with Métis Nation – Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan government to implement the recommendations of the Federal Housing Advocate's review of Métis housing conditions and the Minister's response letter in February 2025. For more details, see recommendation 3G.
    2. Engage proactively in processes established under the NHSA.
      • Ensure quarterly meetings between the Federal Housing Advocate and the Minister responsible for housing take place to discuss emerging systemic housing issues and the implementation of the Advocate's recommendations.
      • Ensure federal departments engage in review panels, including the Neha review on housing challenges for women, Two Spirit, trans, and gender-diverse people and the Advocate's forthcoming request to establish a review panel on accessible housing, as well as Advocate-led reviews.
    3. Ensure adequate funding for the interdependent mechanisms created under the NHSA.
      • Provide sustainable funding for the Federal Housing Advocate, the National Housing Council and review panels to carry out their legislated functions and duties.
      • Extend the funding for the Federal Housing Advocate beyond 2026 to align with the current timeframe of the National Housing Strategy and funding for the National Housing Council, which are funded until 2028.
    4. Strengthen participatory processes and ensure adequate funding for civil society and rights holders to actively engage with the mechanisms created under the NHSA, as set out in section 5(2)(d) of the Act.
    5. Ensure sufficient funding and the timely roll-out of the Tenant Protection Fund to facilitate community-based education, organizing and engagement, as well as bring forward systemic tenant housing issues to the accountability mechanisms under the NHSA.

  2. Implement an all-of-government action approach to housing as a human right

    Strong federal leadership and an all-of-government approach is needed to implement the human right to adequate housing as set out in Canadian law under the National Housing Strategy Act.

    1. Demonstrate federal leadership and deepen public understanding by ensuring that the federal government's public communications use human rights language when discussing housing.
      • Elected and unelected federal representatives must avoid using language that stigmatize people experiencing homelessness and housing precarity.
      • Ensure human rights obligations are explicitly included in housing and homelessness agreements with provinces, territories and municipalities.
      • Provide all officials working on housing and homelessness policy and programs with training that includes a human rights-based approach, Indigenous rights, gender-based analysis, cultural safety and trauma and violence-informed approaches.
      • Expand public education about the right to adequate housing and leverage existing tools developed by the Office of the Federal Housing Advocate and civil society.
    2. Support evidence-based policy-making in the housing and homelessness sector by identifying and monitoring human rights-based outcomes, and collecting disaggregated data on housing experiences, gaps and barriers, particularly for disadvantaged groups.
    3. Integrate human rights obligations into renewed federal agreements with other orders of government – including the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Housing Partnership Framework and bilateral agreements – to strengthen accountability mechanisms for the right to adequate housing.

  3. Invest in First Nations, Inuit and Métis housing and infrastructure

    The federal government must invest in housing and infrastructure for First Nations, Inuit and Métis, no matter where they live, to address historic neglect and respect commitments to reconciliation and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

    1. Uphold the inherent rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people with regards to housing, as articulated under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People Act (UNDA).
    2. Deliver on the government's commitment to support the development of, and provide long-term funding for, an urban, rural and northern (URN) Indigenous housing strategy that is Indigenous-led. This funding must be allocated and rolled out swiftly.
    3. Establish collaborative governance and accountability mechanisms for Nunatsiavut housing.
      • Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nunatsiavut should create a formal working group to discuss and implement housing recommendations, including those contained in the Federal Housing Advocate's review. This includes designating an accountability position— within Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation or potentially the Auditor General's office—to ensure oversight, transparency, and progress tracking on commitments made to Inuit housing and infrastructure needs.
    4. Ensure sustainable housing solutions and provincial, federal engagement.
      • The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador should commit to addressing the housing crisis in Nunatsiavut by repairing housing stock and transferring its care and control to the Nunatsiavut Government, while securing ongoing operational funding to maintain deep affordability alongside financing housing and assisting low-income owners. Additionally, a tripartite table should be established within the broader treaty implementation framework to align federal, provincial, and Nunatsiavut housing priorities—ensuring that any advancements made for Inuit in Nunatsiavut set a precedent for other Inuit treaty tables across Canada, where appropriate.
    5. Strengthen political dialogue on housing commitments.
      • The Government of Nunavut should engage in a high-level political meeting with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI) and the Federal Housing Advocate to advance the implementation of housing recommendations, including those set out in the Advocate's review. Discussions should focus on fulfilling Canada's fiduciary responsibility for Inuit housing and upholding treaty-like commitments made when Inuit were forced into settlements.
    6. Develop a coordinated, long-term Inuit housing strategy.
      • The Government of Canada, Government of Nunavut, and NTI should collaborate on a strategic, long-term plan to realize the Inuit right to housing, ensuring full implementation of NTI's Angirratsaliulauqta – Nunavut Inuit Housing Action Plan through sustained investment and policy alignment.
    7. Strengthen federal engagement with the government of Métis Nation – Saskatchewan.
      • Ensure that federal departments—particularly the department responsible for housing— commit to aligning their programs with the Fiscal Funding Agreement that underpins Métis Nation – Saskatchewan's inherent right to self-government. This includes transitioning away from proposal-based funding mechanisms and towards long-term, strategic housing solutions.

  4. Strengthen the National Housing Strategy and Canada's Housing Plan

    The federal government must strengthen existing programs and initiatives of the National Housing Strategy (NHS) and Canada's Housing Plan to prioritize housing outcomes for persons in greatest need.

    1. Prioritise non-market housing and meeting the needs of people experiencing homelessness and housing precarity to address the gaps identified in the report: A Human Rights-Based Calculation of Canada's Housing Shortages. 
      • Embed an intersectional Gender-based Analysis Plus approach to reach those who are most marginalized in the current housing system, particularly women and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, as well as people who are Black, Indigenous, or racialized, people with disabilities, people with low-incomes, immigrants, refugees and refugee claimants, older adults and youth.
      • Establish a goal of non-market housing reaching at least 20% of rental stock. A shorter-term benchmark should be set to meet 7% as quickly as possible.
    2. Monitor Community Encampment Response Plans delivered under the Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampments Initiative to ensure they implement a human rights-based approach and incorporate meaningful engagement with people living in encampments and local Indigenous leadership.
    3. Ensure income supports, including the Canada Housing Benefit and the Canada Disability Benefit are indexed to inflation and designed to ensure housing stability.
    4. Extend the Federal Community Housing Initiative, as outlined in the 2024 Fall Economic Statement, to keep low-income renters in their homes. While the FES initially outlined $362.7 million dollars over five years starting in 2028-2029, more should be done to explore how much funding is truly needed to meet the need.
    5. Implement the measures identified in the Blueprint for a Renters' Bill of Rights, particularly related to rental assistance programs, eviction protections, and strong enforcement mechanisms to hold landlords accountable.
    6. Embed accessible and adaptable housing guidelines into all housing strategies, including the National Building Code, so that all future dwellings are built without barriers and are easily adaptable.
    7. Coordinate a government-wide response at the Ministerial level to uphold youth security of tenure based on the report Preventing Youth Homelessness and Evictions in Canada, including by convening a roundtable between the implicated Ministers and the authors of the report.

  5. Lay the groundwork to begin shaping the next National Housing Strategy

    The federal government must launch an engagement process in 2025–2026 to begin to inform the development of the next National Housing Strategy after 2028.

    1. Work with the Federal Housing Advocate and the National Housing Council to identify participatory processes to include civil society and people experiencing inadequate housing and homelessness in designing the next National Housing Strategy.
    2. Document lessons learned and address shortcomings identified in the National Housing Strategy, Canada's Housing Plan, and related programs to:
      • Ensure explicit recognition of obligations under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the UN Declaration Act (UNDA) in future housing strategies and plans.
      • Recognize discrimination as a systemic barrier to housing.
      • Establish a cycle of evaluation and continuous improvement aligned with triennial reporting obligations, ensuring meaningful involvement of the Federal Housing Advocate and the National Housing Council—an aspect lacking in past reports.

The Advocate's first mandate

Housing advocates tirelessly campaigned for years to have Canada recognize the human right to adequate housing in domestic legislation. Their work led to the passing of the National Housing Strategy Act in 2019. The Act recognizes and enshrines housing as a human right in Canada's federal law.

It also creates important accountability mechanisms to uphold the right to housing, including the National Housing Strategy, the National Housing Council, and the role of the Federal Housing Advocate.

In February 2022, Marie-Josée Houle was appointed as the first Federal Housing Advocate for a three-year term. In the time since, we at the Office of the Federal Housing Advocate have worked hard to establish a strong foundation for upholding the right to housing in Canada.

The Office of the Federal Housing Advocate was pleased to welcome the re-appointment of Marie-Josée Houle, by order in council, who will continue serving as the Federal Housing Advocate for a three-year term from 2025–2028.

In her first term as Federal Housing Advocate, Ms. Houle used her mandate to spotlight key issues of national concern and provide evidence-based recommendations to address the housing and homelessness crisis. The end of this first mandate is an opportunity to look back on the work we have accomplished and the important milestones for the human right to housing in Canada along the way.

Reflecting on how far we have come will also help chart the course forward. We will continue monitoring and advancing the progress of our work so far, and looking ahead to future areas of focus that matter to Canadians.

Building the human right to housing

Building the right to housing in Canada is going to take all of us working together, and this is where the Advocate has a critical role to play. The Advocate acts as a unique bridge between people with lived experience on the ground, organizations in the housing and homelessness sector, and decision-makers that influence laws and policies.

Given that the National Housing Strategy Act is new in Canada, it's important that everyone understands what it means to recognize housing as a fundamental human right, and what accountability mechanisms were created by the Act in 2019.

Over the past three years, we have worked to build awareness of the human right to housing for both the public and government stakeholders. We did this in a few ways – from establishing important partnerships with civil society, to producing educational content, to speaking at events and conferences, to providing media interviews, to hearing from people experiencing homelessness and inadequate housing from coast to coast to coast.

This work is fundamental to building a culture of human rights so that people in Canada can know their rights and call on their decision-makers for change. At government level, this means creating a culture where a housing laws, policies and programs centre the right to housing as a default.

Here are some of the resources we produced:

Conducting evidence-based research

Establishing a knowledge base and understanding what issues are impacting people most are a critical part of building the right to housing in Canada.

Over the past three years, the Office of the Federal Housing Advocate worked closely with housing experts to conduct leading research on the right to housing in Canada. Drawing from this knowledge and expertise is essential to informing our work so that it is evidence-based.

This research helped to form the foundation of many of the Advocate's systemic reviews, referrals to the National Housing Council to form a review panel, written and oral submissions to the review panel once it is formed, testimony to House of Commons and Senate committees, and advocacy to governments.

Here is some of the research we produced:

A human rights-based calculation of Canada's housing shortages

This report, produced by housing policy expert Dr. Carolyn Whitzman, applied a human rights-based approach to the analysis of housing supply needs in Canada. Its calculations take into account housing needs across the country by income category, household size and priority population.

This new analysis of Canada's housing supply shortage found that it is missing 4.4 million homes that are affordable to people in housing need.

The figures show a current deficit of 3 million homes for low and very low-income households in housing need who can only afford less than $1,050 per month, and a further 1.4 million missing homes for moderate and median income households in housing need.

In other words, the creation of 4.4 million homes that are permanently affordable and accessible represents what is currently needed to restore affordability to Canada's housing system.

For the first time, the report includes students, those who are homeless, and people living in congregate housing – such as long-term care or supportive housing for people with disabilities – to the census count of people in “core housing need”.

The report is a new way of looking at housing supply in Canada. It focuses on the circumstances of people who are being most affected by inadequate housing and homelessness, and what type of housing supply will actually meet their needs.

Security of tenure

Everyone has a right to feel stable in their home, to know they can stay there long-term without being displaced. This is known as security of tenure, and it is an essential part of the human right to adequate housing.

Yet in Canada, tenants face housing insecurity and evictions, which have catastrophic effects on their well-being, employment, and child development.

This series of reports, authored by legal experts, confirm that evictions in Canada contravene human rights law. For example, international law forbids eviction into homelessness, and says that tribunals must consider all possible alternatives before forcing a household out of their home. In contrast, in Canada, it is not uncommon for a family to be evicted for rent payment arrears equivalent to one month's rent or less, rather than be offered a repayment plan. Meanwhile, only a tiny minority of tenants facing eviction have access to legal representation, despite the seriousness of losing their homes.

The reports also confirm that people who are members of disadvantaged groups are disproportionately impacted by evictions. This suggests systemic discrimination, in contravention of national and provincial human rights legislation.

Submissions the Advocate received between May 2022 and April 2025 confirm the prevalence of this issue, as 37% of people who submitted said they had been evicted or lost their housing. For tenants, 41% said they were forced to move from a place they have rented – in more than half of cases (64%) these were “no-fault” evictions initiated by the landlord for their own use, renovation, or sale of the property.

Spotlighting key issues

The driving focus at the heart of our mandate is to shine a spotlight on systemic issues that are denying people their human right to housing. The goal is to make recommendations to governments on how system-wide failures can be fixed. We also take a human rights-based approach that prioritizes those who are impacted by the housing and homelessness crisis the most. Theirs are voices that have too often been forgotten by the usual mechanisms and policies: the voices of people who are justice involved, who are struggling with addiction, who are racialized, Indigenous, gender diverse, women, 2SLGBTQQIA+, veterans, seniors, survivors of domestic violence, people with disabilities, youth, and newcomers to Canada.

Bringing these key issues into the spotlight and advocating for change is a critical function of the Advocate's role. The Advocate brings together researchers, civil society, and rights-holders to find solutions that get to the root of the housing and homelessness crisis.

In the last three years, we brought to light several key issues that are violating people's right to housing in Canada – from financialization, to homeless encampments, to housing for Inuit and Métis, and many others. Here are just a few examples.

The financialization of housing

Our work on financialization helped bring this issue into the national spotlight. We conducted research in partnership with some of Canada's top housing experts to understand how financialization is contributing to housing unaffordability and violating people's human rights.

Private equity firms, pension funds, and real estate investment trusts (REITs) are increasingly acquiring, operating, and developing housing as an investment strategy, with the aim of maximizing returns for shareholders. This phenomenon, known as the financialization of housing, is denying members of disadvantaged groups their fundamental human rights.

The Advocate worked with researchers to better understand financialization and how it is manifesting in Canada. The reports confirm this trend is having the greatest impact on disadvantaged groups, and is linked to unaffordable rents, evictions, and long-term care deaths. The research found that 20-30% of Canada's rental housing is financialized.

As a result of this research, the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA) initiated a study into the practice of financialization in Canada. In May 2023, the Advocate and the researchers were invited to speak to the Committee on this important issue. The Advocate told the Committee that curbing financialization is a key way that governments can help address Canada's larger housing crisis, and recommended the Committee look into options like tax reforms that make financialization less profitable, tracking the ownership of financialized housing stock, and regulating the involvement of pension funds that invest in financialization. The Committee's final report included key recommendations that were informed by the Advocate's work.

At the same time, the Advocate also requested the National Housing Council examine the financialization of purpose-built rental housing in a public review panel. The Advocate provided a written submission as well as an oral presentation with her findings and recommendations on the issue during the review panel process. The review panel issued its final report in 2024 with recommended actions that the government of Canada should take to address the financialization of housing, which was submitted to the federal Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. In the 2024 budget, the federal government recognized the need to act on financialization and promised further action in the 2024 fall economic statement.

Research series

A human rights-based approach to encampments

Homeless encampments constitute one of the most serious right-to-housing issues in Canada today. A different approach is needed to better respond to this humanitarian crisis and violation of people's human rights in Canada.

The Federal Housing Advocate continues to be one of the county's top voices advocating for the human rights of encampment residents. This stems from our work conducting a national systemic review of encampments in Canada, launched in 2023.

The Advocate spoke with encampment residents, local advocates, Indigenous leaders and municipal governments across the country to better understand their experiences and arrive at solutions. We also received written submissions online from 313 people with lived experience in encampments. Another 53 advocates, organizations and municipalities shared their perspectives and observations. These observations were summarized in an interim report published in October 2023.

What we heard is that encampment residents know what is required to meet their most pressing needs. Above all, it comes down to having adequate housing. What is lacking is sufficient resources and coordination amongst governments, as well as the commitment to meaningfully engage with encampment residents.

The recommendations in the Advocate's final report urged the federal government to lead on this issue by developing a national encampments response plan that upholds the dignity and rights of people living in encampments, as well as offers permanent housing and long-term solutions.

This resulted in the federal government allotting $250 million in the 2024 budget for human rights-based encampment responses, to be matched by the provinces and territories for up to $500 million in funding. Critically, the recognition of the need for a human rights-based approach to encampments is an important shift in direction. Our advocacy at all levels of government has moved the needle on ensuring that the human rights and dignity of people living in encampments are respected and upheld.

Upholding dignity and human rights: The Federal Housing Advocate's Review of Homeless Encampments

To support her review, the Advocate worked with researchers to understand this issue by mobilizing case studies, media scans, and literature and policy reviews. This research illuminates the human rights dimensions of encampments across Canada. The studies prepared for the Office of the Federal Housing Advocate reinforce the conclusion that a human rights-based approach to encampments is long overdue.

The right to housing for Inuit, Métis and First Nations

The Advocate has also exposed the serious underfunding and lack of safe housing infrastructure for Indigenous communities. In October 2022, the Advocate travelled to Nunavut and Nunatsiavut in partnership with Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. and the Nunatsiavut Government to learn more about housing in Inuit communities, and visit people and organizations firsthand. The housing conditions there are dire, and the result of a failure by multiple levels of government to invest in and respect the human right to housing for Inuit.

The co-developed report documents these conditions, and at the same time, identifies long-term and sustainable solutions and a roadmap of recommendations to governments. We have met with federal ministers, members of Parliament, and senators to discuss the report. The Advocate also engaged with the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador on the recommendations that can be implemented in the province. The report continues to be an advocacy tool that we are using to engage with the federal, provincial and territorial governments on these critical issues, and to push for action.

The Advocate worked with the Métis Nation – Saskatchewan to raise serious concerns about the high rate of housing precarity and homelessness in Métis communities across the province. The co-developed recommendations will continue to be an important advocacy tool for the Metis Nation – Saskatchewan in the province and at the federal treaty negotiation table. The report also spurred meetings with Parliamentarians and Senators to advance the recommendations. (see the section of this report “Advocating for the right to housing for Métis in Saskatchewan” for more details.)

The need for governments to invest in non-market housing

The Advocate has called on the federal government to lead the way in creating permanently affordable, accessible non-market housing to meet the needs of a wide range of people.

On National (Right to) Housing Day on November 22, 2023, the Federal Housing Advocate co-hosted a webinar entitled “Making the best of public money for public good” with the National Right to Housing Network. The event brought together experts in the field to share their knowledge and advice on how to scale up non-market housing in Canada. It also gave participants the opportunity to share their ideas.

This event provided the foundation that enabled the Advocate to speak out and build recommendations to governments.

In September 2023, the Federal Housing Advocate published an opinion piece in the Toronto Star, calling on the federal government to take the lead on creating housing that prioritizes people's human right to housing over profit. Investing in non-market housing is the way out of the housing crisis.

At her appearance before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance (FINA) in November 2023 and February 2024, the Advocate's recommendations included prioritizing non-market housing investments for the National Housing Strategy's $82-billion budget, creating an acquisition fund for non-market and Indigenous housing providers to buy, repair and operate existing buildings, and pushing for strong rent stabilization measures and tenant protections across Canada.

The Advocate's advocacy on the need for governments to invest in non-market housing helped to spur the creation of an acquisition fund in the 2024 budget so that non-profit housing providers can buy new affordable buildings.

The Advocate's message to decision-makers continues to be that investing in non-market housing is the way out of the housing crisis. Non-market housing creates permanently affordable, accessible housing to meet the needs of a wide range of people. It is the best use of taxpayer dollars for public good in housing, as it benefits everyone. Most importantly, nonmarket housing is not inflationary — it will not raise housing prices in the private housing market.

Driving change from governments

Governments have an essential role to play in making sure every person can have their right to housing upheld. Canada has recognized housing as human right in federal law and in international treaties. As a housing rights watchdog, the Advocate's role is to hold all levels of government, in particular the federal government, to account for their human rights obligations.

Over the past three years, the Advocate's work has focused on amplifying the voices of people impacted by inadequate housing and homelessness and ensuring they reach decision-makers. The Advocate uses what she heard in combination with our research and reviews of key issues to push for change at all levels of government.

The Advocate is also an important resource for governments, who can draw on her research and recommendations to guide their decision-making. She has appeared before federal committees to offer recommendations to decision-makers and met with governments on their human rights obligations. As we continue to convey our research and recommendations, and to highlight concerns to decision-makers, we are seeing progress.

Letters of concern

When it comes to encampments, the Advocate's final report includes recommendations aimed at the federal government as well as provincial, territorial and municipal governments. She has been engaging with all levels of government as to how they can implement them in their jurisdictions. We have also sent letters of concern to a number of municipalities that are evicting encampments in order to highlight the harm these types of approaches cause and suggest effective solutions that are based on human rights. In some instances, these were published as Open letters.

The Advocate has also issued two open letters to urge decision-makers to adopt accessible, adaptable, and inclusive housing – particularly as new buildings are being built with federal funding. This is essential to ensure that all people in Canada have access to a range of housing options that meet their needs and that allow them to age in place. The lack of comprehensive accessibility requirements in Canada's building codes is not consistent with Canada's international and domestic human rights obligations, as embodied in the National Housing Strategy Act, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It is also contrary to the spirit of the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Accessible Canada Act, which commits the federal government to creating a Canada without barriers by 2040. Accessibility Standards Canada, created by the Government of Canada to advance the Accessible Canada Act, has developed an Accessible Dwelling Standard and is developing an Accessible Ready Housing Standard to meet these needs.

Budget 2024

The 2024 Federal Budget and the release of Canada's Housing Plan established a foundation to build on. They were a step forward towards recognizing and solving the housing and homelessness crisis we are in.

The budget and the housing plan include targeted programs and new money across the board on some key systemic issues and initiatives that we, and other advocates, had been recommending – like non-market housing, combatting financialization, and encampments.

Seeing these documents echo the recommendations made by the Advocate in the last three years demonstrates our effectiveness in driving important policy changes to uphold the human right to housing for all.

Non-market housing: Greater federal investment in non-market housing is a historic move in the right direction and echoes the recommendations we made to decision-makers. The budget includes quite new announcements for co-ops and innovative plans to build affordable housing on public lands. However, this work is not over. We need a short-term plan to double Canada's non-market housing supply from 3.5% to 7%, and cooperation over the long term to bring that number up to 20%.

Combatting financialization: The government created a Canada Rental Protection Fund to address long-standing calls to enable community housing providers to secure affordable rental units that are at-risk of being financialized though being sold to investors. A non-market acquisition fund is welcome news. Helping non-market groups buy, repair, and operate existing affordable properties will help to slow the financialization of housing. This echoes the recommendations we made to decision-makers.

Encampments: Funding for local and human rights-based approaches to support encampment residents is a positive step. This program, offering $250 million of new federal funding that can be matched by the provinces and territories, is the direct result of the Advocate's recommendations.

Renters' Bill of Rights: We need more protections for tenants against unreasonable rental increases, bad faith evictions, and legal aid for renters when their rights are threatened. There is currently a patchwork of legal protections for renters that vary widely across the country. The Renter's Bill of Rights proposes some of these measures. Acknowledging that there is a need for a national standard for renters is a positive sign. This echoes the recommendations we made to decision-makers.

Resourcing rights claimants: A fund called the Tenant Protection Fund was created following a feasibility study funded by the Advocate which assessed the costs of undertaking a systemic review submitted to the Federal Housing Advocate. This feasibility study informed the creation of the Tenant Protection Fund, which enables tenants' rights organizations to, among other things, claim their right to housing by researching systemic housing issues that can be brought to the Federal Housing Advocate. It also increases access to justice for tenants through resources, advice and information. This fund further reduces barriers to justice and supports tenants in navigating and overcoming tenant legal matters.

Connecting with people

Engaging with other organizations in the housing and homelessness sector helps the Federal Housing Advocate make real connections with people and combine our advocacy efforts. Whether she is giving speeches, engaging with stakeholders, or conducting site visits, these opportunities to collaborate and connect with people are invaluable.

Over the past three years, the Advocate attended over 300 events and engagements across Canada. Here are just a few examples of some of the people we've worked with and events we've attended:

  • The National Right to Housing Network
  • The Women's National Housing & Homelessness Network
  • Housing on the Hill Day, an event on Parliament Hill that brings together people on the front lines of the housing crisis with members of Parliament and policy-makers
  • John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights
  • Canadian Housing Renewal Association Congress
  • Assembly of First Nations Housing Forums 2022 & 2023
  • Métis Nation – Saskatchewan Housing and Homelessness Conference
  • Congress of Aboriginal Peoples National Housing Engagement, 2023
  • Métis National Council Housing Gathering, 2023
  • National Aboriginal Friendship Centre Gathering
  • Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Big City Mayors Caucus
  • Manitoba Non-Profit Housing Association Annual Conference
  • Federal and Provincial Deputy Minister Housing Forum – Senior Officials – 2022
  • Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA)
  • Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada
  • Institute of Global Homelessness and National Homelessness Policy Working Group
  • The Progressive Senator Group 2023
  • Pan-Canadian Women's Voice for Housing Annual Symposium 2023
  • Canadian Network for Equity and Racial Justice
  • United Way Canada
  • Calgary Homelessness Foundation
  • ACORN Canada
  • Atira Women's Resource Society: Pan-Canadian Voice for Women's Housing symposium
  • CAEH National Conference on Ending Homelessness
  • British Columbia's Office of the Human Rights Commissioner – Behind the Headlines Commissioner Conversations
  • Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission Panel on Human Rights and the Unhoused
  • Canadian Association of Statutory Human Rights Agencies
  • Homeless Hub
  • Canada 211
  • Canada's Chief Accessibility Officer
  • Accessibility Standards Canada

The Advocate and her office speak out so that people in Canada, decision-makers, and advocates across the country can join us in making change to systemic housing issues across the country. Over the last three years, we raised awareness and amplified people's experiences by speaking out in the media, online, and in-person. This work often touched on key themes of advocacy, housing as a human right, and collaboration at all levels to develop solutions.

Over the last three years, the Federal Housing Advocate appeared in over 1,500 media pieces across television, radio and print. Here are just a few examples:

Bringing marginalized voices forward

Since its launch in 2022, the Federal Housing Advocate has received over 750 submissions from the public and more than 60 from organizations from the online submission tool and her engagement processes. Of these, 400 were received from the online tool and 350 were received in person, mainly through a special collection of submissions on the topic of encampments.

These submissions have highlighted systemic issues such as unaffordable rents, unsafe living conditions, and housing discrimination. Many accounts reveal the struggles of marginalized groups, including women and gender diverse individuals, who face increased risks in shelters and encampments.

The submissions inform the Federal Housing Advocate's reports, policy recommendations, and referrals to the National Housing Council. By analyzing trends and engaging policy-makers, the tool helps push for legislative reforms, increased funding, and stronger housing protections. Ultimately, it strengthens accountability and reinforces the recognition of adequate housing as a fundamental human right in Canada.

Over the past three years, submissions consistently highlighted the critical lack of basic services for individuals experiencing homelessness, including inadequate access to showers, toilets, clean water, and food preparation spaces. The absence of such services is especially concerning during extreme weather conditions. Forced evictions and clearances were frequently reported, with personal belongings often seized or discarded, and interactions with police and city workers described as dehumanizing and violent.

Emergency shelters were widely criticized for being overburdened, underfunded, and lacking privacy and safety features. Indigenous peoples and vulnerable groups, including women, 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals, and those with pets, often face exclusion and are forced into unsafe alternatives. While many residents view encampments as offering relative safety and community support, they also suffer from a severe lack of accessible health, mental health, and addiction services, further exacerbating physical and psychological harm.

Social stigma and discrimination are persistent challenges, with frequent harassment and criminalization of homelessness. Despite systemic neglect, encampments have become vital sites for grassroots mutual aid and community care.

There is a clear call for all levels of government to develop comprehensive, wrap-around services that integrate housing, mental health care, addiction support, and legal assistance, while respecting individuals' dignity and autonomy. Participants also demand significant investment in affordable housing, increased public education, and trauma-informed training to reduce stigma and foster empathy in the community. These solutions are seen as essential for addressing the housing crisis and supporting marginalized individuals in their struggle for dignity and inclusion.

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