Housing a Human Right: Why is Canada Still Violating this Basic Human Right?

On December 10th – International Human Rights Day, join with the Right to Housing Coalition in sending a message to the Prime Minister: Create a rights-based national housing strategy! For physical postcards (English or French), which you can sign and send to the PM, or to your local MP, please contact us at: righttohousingcoalition@gmail.com

There are between 150,000 people homeless in Canada, according to the Canadian Senate report on poverty.

The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation identifies 1.5 million households in ‘core housing need’ in Canada.

A recent report by Stephen Gaetz of the Canadian Homelessness Research Network explains how it will cost us less money to end homelessness than to maintain it.

On May 4, 2012 members of the House of Commons from all parties voted to support a motion which recognized that Canada has obligations to fulfill the right to housing.

Canada is a signatory to the International Convenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which guarantees the right to adequate housing.

National Housing Day action in Toronto

The Right to Housing Coalition ends the rally with a march to the offices of the Attorney General of Canada, to show support to the 4 individuals and CERA who are taking the government to court for violating their Charter Rights.

photos of Toronto’s National Housing Day rally

Gathering at Occupy Toronto site for speeches from low-income activists and their allies.

November 22 rally for National Housing Day!

National Housing Day Rally and march
Tuesday, November 22nd
12pm-1:30pm
meet at St. James Park (Occupy Toronto site) at King St. East & Jarvis

march to Attorney General of Canada at 130 King St. West

Tuesday November 22, is National Housing Day. Between 150,000– 300,000 people are homeless in Canada, and millions more are living in inadequate or unaffordable housing. Any yet, Canada is the only major industrialized country without a national housing program.  Aboriginal peoples, racialized communities, people with disabilities, women, seniors and other marginalized groups are disproportionately affected by housing insecurity. On National Housing Day join the Right to Housing Coalition for a rally to demand a national housing strategy and to support the Charter challenge to end homelessness.

The Right to Housing Coalition (R2H) is a group of people facing homelessness, advocates, service providers, and organizations, working together for the right to housing. In May 2010 four individuals and the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation filed a court case against the Ontario and federal governments, asking the court to recognize that, by making policies that cause and perpetuate homelessness, the governments have violated the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. R2H has provided ongoing support to the legal challenge through research, public forums and other events, and has participated in the national days of action for housing as part of the Red Tent campaign (http://redtents.org )

Endorsed by: Voices from the Street, Toronto Disaster Relief Committee, TCH Tenants Speakers Bureau, Stop the Cuts Network, Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul, Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, Occupy Toronto, FORWARD, the Dream Team, Toronto CAS and the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario. Please contact righttohousingcoalition@gmail.com to endorse the action or for more information.

Friday Feb. 25 Action for Affordable Housing forum in Toronto

Friday, February 25 Community Forum:

Action for Affordable Housing: Moving Housing Rights Forward in our city, our province, our country

10 am – 12pm
O.I.S.E. rm 5280 – 252 Bloor St. West (at St. George subway)
Free, TTC tokens available

What are the challenges that we face as we try to end homelessness and address the severe lack of good quality housing that people can afford?

What are the opportunities to move a ‘right to housing’ agenda forward?

What can we all do to end the housing crisis?

Join Doug King from PIVOT Legal Society in Vancouver, B.C., Sheryl Lindsay from Sistering, Regi David from the Rooming House Tenants Group—Scarborough and Cathy Crowe from the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee to discuss what we
can all do to end the housing crisis!

Organized by the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario.

To RSVP, for more information, or if your group or organization would like to endorse the event please contact Yutaka Dirks: dirksy@lao.on.ca

Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=195412740485404&pending

Linda Chamberlain of the Dream Team talks housing!

You can listen to Linda Chamberlain, a member of the Dream Team who was once homeless, from this audio clip of her speech at the December 10th Housing as a Human Right community forum.  Rabble.ca journalist John Bonner was there to capture the event and produced this podcast:

http://rabble.ca/podcasts/shows/john-bonnar-audio-blog/2010/12/psychiatric-survivor-says-supportive-housing-saved-her

 

Dec 10: Housing as a Human Right forum

Dec 10 International Human Rights Day forum:

Housing  as  a  human  right:

Community & legal action to end homelessness

10am – 12pm

155 Dalhousie St. community room

( 5 min walk east of Dundas Subway)

Free

Snacks and TTC tokens provided

On May 26, with the participation of housing advocates, 4 people who have experienced homelessness launched a historic legal challenge against the governments of Canada and Ontario for violating their human rights and the rights of people who are unable to obtain safe, accessible affordable housing.

On October 19, people rallied in cities across Canada in support of Bill C-304, requiring Canada to develop a national housing strategy. The final vote on Bill C-304 is expected soon..

On December 10 participate in International Human Rights Day and hear about how low- income people and their allies are claiming the right to housing. Claim your rights too!

155 Dalhousie Street Community Room is 5 minutes east of Yonge & Dundas, behind the Gas station at Dundas & Church.  To register to attend or to endorse this event email: dirksy@lao.on.ca

Organized by Right to Housing social action committee, Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario, the Dream Team, Toronto Disaster Relief Committee, Cities Centre U of T, Voices from the Street.