Policy Brief-Homeless in Canada

"The best test of the strength of any social security safety net is the degree to which it prevents the worst kind of destitution — homelessness." Bacher, pg. 147

Background

Homelessness in Canada is not merely a housing issue but a deep-seated policy problem that traces its roots back to the 1930s. The favoring of neoliberal policies directed at the housing market has perpetuated a lack of affordable housing, leading to the stigmatization and criminalization of homelessness. Although various government initiatives have been established over the years, poverty-driven homelessness persists, exacerbated by the neoliberal commodification of housing.

Housing as a Human Right

The NHS, launched in 2017, committed to ensuring affordable housing for all Canadians, acknowledging housing as a fundamental human right. However, despite significant financial commitments, the strategy falls short in addressing the sheer numbers of people experiencing homelessness. The focus on market-driven solutions, as evident in the Minister's response, reveals a lack of intention to assist those suffering from entrenched poverty.

Policy Recommendations

Action

The first policy recommendation is ACTION. The needs of the most vulnerable of Canadian Society need to be addressed in a way that gives actual housing to people in need. Rather than continue the 100-year-old legacy to support the commodification of shelter, it is time to prioritize human rights through affordable shelter. Some ways to do this is by providing housing subsidies for those currently facing eviction or homelessness and implementing programs like the Garden Suite Program for current homeowners who may be struggling to pay mortgages due to low retirement funds or disability. Providing an Equitable Income Initiative that will combine aspects of Living Wages (LW) and Guaranteed Minimum Income (GMI) to all members of Canadian Society should underpin any efforts towards mitigating the effects of poverty including housing instability and homelessness.

Housing Subsidies

Huston (2017) reports on the findings from the Family Options Study that was carried out in the US, identifying a crucial need for housing subsidies, particularly in the context of a commodified housing market that it shares with Canada. The study reveals that long-term permanent housing subsidies play a vital role in stabilizing families and positively impact the lives of children facing extreme poverty. Children raised in stable homes through a subsidy, experienced notable improvements in behavior, emotional well-being, and educational outcomes. In a commodified housing landscape, characterized by market-driven forces that often overlook the needs of vulnerable populations, housing subsidies become an essential tool to break the cycle of poverty (Huston, 2017).

I propose housing subsidies that are calculated through the lens of an Equitable Income Initiative and current market value rents need to be issued to any of the identified vulnerable sectors. This can be done through the income tax reporting system and reassessed each year to determine eligibility.

Garden Suites

The NHS focused on creating market housing as part of their response to the Advocate. I suggest a private business format that would satisfy current neoliberal policy and that could also be subsidized by government as a homeowner’s loan to improve their properties with the addition of a garden suite.

Also known as secondary suites or mortgage-helper suites, these living quarters, historically illegal, present an innovative approach to Canada's ongoing housing crisis and offer homeowners a means to sustain their mortgages and housing equity.

With rental revenue from a garden suite, homeowners can manage larger mortgage loans, with the added benefit that these suites often have rental costs below purpose-built rental stock (Mendez, 2018). Mendez (2018) notes that beyond their economic advantages, secondary suites offer a practical solution to address housing challenges, foster socio-economic diversity, and challenge stereotypes associated with people who have low incomes. The evolving acceptance and promotion of secondary suites signify a shift toward recognizing their positive role in the broader housing landscape (Mendez, 2018).

The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) currently support this approach under the name Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program (RRAP) – Secondary and Garden Suites, with forgivable loans issued to people who live on Indigenous reserves (2018). To further encourage this model, the CMHC could expand this program this initiative as a homeowner's loan to enhance their properties, along with potential tax breaks and other incentives for participants in an off-reserve garden suite program.

Equitable Income Initiative

While a basic income for all people in Canada is not specifically a housing issue, I propose that a two-tiered system of a means-tested, living wage for middle to low-income wage earners and a guaranteed income for the most vulnerable individuals such as those with disabilities and the elderly be introduced to alleviate poverty that leads to homelessness. This amount can be adjusted for families with children who have working parents.

A living wage has been established in the UK, that leaves the employer responsible for paying workers above the National minimum. This ensures that all workers can achieve a level of autonomy and a social status that will allow them full participation within their community (Werner, 2016).

To address rising poverty levels and income shortages for middle- and low-income people, an equitable income initiative must be issued to all low-income people. The Covid 19 pandemic response of 2k/month set a precedence for recognizing the income gap. A suggested appropriate living wage is twice above the poverty level (Ciscel, 2000).

"To be homeless is to experience one of the more devastating forms of personal and social deprivation. To have homeless people in twentieth century Canada raises many questions about the nature of the policy response to social welfare and housing problems." (Bacher p.147)

Action for the Vulnerable

Prioritize human rights through affordable shelter.
Provide housing subsidies for those facing eviction or homelessness.
Implement programs like the Garden Suite Program for struggling homeowners.

Garden Suites

Encourage a private business format, subsidized by government as a homeowner’s loan.
Expand the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program for off-reserve garden suite initiatives.

Housing Subsidies

Issue housing subsidies calculated through the lens of an Equitable Income Initiative.
Use the income tax reporting system for efficient assessment and eligibility determination.

Equitable Income Initiative

Introduce a two-tiered system: living wage for middle to low-income earners and a guaranteed income for the most vulnerable.
Adjust income for families with children and those with disabilities or the elderly.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the NHS must transcend unmet commitments and stigmatized narratives to genuinely combat poverty. Buzzwords and financial commitments, while on paper, have fallen short of addressing homelessness rooted in entrenched poverty. To fulfill its promise, the NHS must shift focus from market-driven housing solutions to a holistic strategy prioritizing the fundamental right to affordable shelter. Only then can the NHS effectively serve those in greatest need, bringing an end to the persistent challenges of poverty, housing instability, and homelessness in Canada.

References

Bacher, J. (2014) Keeping to the marketplace: the evolution of canadian housing policy. McGill-Queen's University Press. ProQuest Ebook Central. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ocultrent-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3245649.

Canadian Human Rights Commission. (2023) https://housing.chrcreport.ca/federal-housing-advocate-message.html

Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). (2018). https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/professionals/project-funding-and-mortgage-financing/funding-programs/all-funding-programs/residential-rehabilitation-assistance-program/secondary-and-garden-suite-development

Ciscel, D. H. (2000). The Living Wage Movement: Building a Political Link from Market Wages to Social Institutions. Journal of Economic Issues, 34(2), 527–535. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4227582

Forget, E. L. (2011). The Town with No Poverty: The Health Effects of a Canadian Guaranteed Annual Income Field Experiment. Canadian Public Policy, 37(3), 283–305. https://doi.org/10.3138/cpp.37.3.283

Huston, A. C. (2017). U.S. Commentary: Effects of Housing Subsidies on the Well-Being of Children and Their Families in the Family Options Study. Cityscape, 19(3), 265–270. http://www.jstor.org/stable/26328366

Mendez, P. (2018). Encounters with difference in the subdivided house: The case of secondary suites in Vancouver. Urban Studies, 55(6), 1274-1289. https://doi-org.proxy1.lib.trentu.ca/10.1177/0042098017708090

National Housing Strategy. (2023). https://www.placetocallhome.ca/human-rights-based-approach-to-housing

Swope, C. B., & Hernández, D. (2019). Housing as a determinant of health equity: A conceptual model. Social Science & Medicine, 243(Complete). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112571

Werner, A., & Lim, M. (2016). The Ethics of the Living Wage: A Review and Research Agenda. Journal of Business Ethics, 137(3), 433–447. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2562-z