Royal commission on homelessness must be created

National crisis needs urgent attention, Alexandra Flynn and Margot Young write.

The gravity of Canada's housing crisis demands immediate action. Homelessness and housing insecurity affect millions of individuals and families across the country, highlighting the contradictions of a wealthy democracy in which large numbers of citizens live without adequate, stable housing. Across Canada's major cities, encampments or tent cities of unhoused individuals are on the rise — too often the best option for too many in this grim scenario of housing unavailability and unaffordability.

The federal government must take decisive steps, moving beyond mere lip service to a concrete response to acute and growing housing precariousness and the poverty that underpins it. We urge the federal government to create a royal commission on homelessness and housing precarity as part of budget commitments to be announced on April 16. The seriousness of the situation calls for nothing less.

The 2019 National Housing Strategy Act was an important milestone in Canada's acknowledgment of federal responsibility for this crisis. Under this legislation, the federal government, after a long absence from the housing policy field, recommitted to realizing the right to housing and improving housing outcomes for all Canadians. But it is not enough: homelessness and housing poverty are getting worse, not better. The latest report from the federal housing advocate documents that homelessness rates continue to rise, with Indigenous Peoples, seniors, refugees, and sole-parent mothers disproportionately affected.

The federal housing advocate, an independent, non-partisan federal watchdog, reported earlier this year on the alarming eviction rates across the country in contravention of human rights law. Another recent report demonstrated that almost 65 per cent of renter households who faced an eviction within the past five years reported experiencing a no-fault eviction — that is, tenants bore no responsibility for the forced move. In British Columbia, this proportion was 85.4 per cent.

Homelessness costs the Canadian economy billions annually in health care, criminal justice, and social-service expenditures. These resources would be better invested in preventive measures and supportive housing initiatives. Addressing the root causes of homelessness and housing insecurity not only saves lives, but it will also save money.

Striking a federal royal commission on homelessness and housing precarity is a crucial step toward finding sustainable solutions to these pressing issues. It is, after all, a national crisis. This commission would bring together experts across various sectors, including government, non-profit organizations, industry, and community groups, to develop evidence-based strategies to respond to this human rights emergency. By co-ordinating efforts at the national level, we can ensure that resources are allocated efficiently and effectively to where they are needed most.

Critics may argue that the federal government should not interfere in housing matters, as they fall under provincial jurisdiction. However, the housing crisis is national in scope and urgency. It requires a co-ordinated response from all levels of government, deploying the range of jurisdiction and resources each has to a co-ordinated goal of truly realizing the right to housing. Co-operative federalism offers jurisdictional space for federal leadership. The National Housing Strategy Act provides a framework for federal leadership in this area, and a commission would be a vital tool for plotting a course of meaningful action.

The establishment of a royal commission would send a clear message that the federal government is committed to addressing the housing crisis and ensuring that all Canadians have access to safe, affordable and adequate housing. It would demonstrate leadership on an issue that affects millions of Canadians and is central to our collective, national prosperity. It would signal that our national government takes seriously the promise of full, inclusive levels of well-being for all residents in Canada.

Canada's housing crisis requires decisive, solutions-oriented leadership from the federal government. Establishing a commission dedicated to addressing homelessness and housing precarity would be an important step toward ensuring that all Canadians have a home.

It's time for the federal government to meaningfully and urgently prioritize realizing the basic human right of housing for all.