In March, we sounded a note of cautious optimism following the federal budget and the government’s plans to introduce National Housing Strategy legislation. Things were moving forward, but we were yet to see the right to housing enshrined in legislation.
April brought some clarity to the matter. On April 8, the federal government tabled Bill C-97 (Budget Implementation Act, 2019), which included the much anticipated National Housing Strategy Act.
Maytree, alongside other housing advocates, was pleased to see the legislation. We believe it is a significant milestone as Canada moves towards recognizing the right to housing.
But we also recognized that the legislation as presented lacked essential elements of a workable human rights accountability framework. A few additional elements were needed to clarify the monitoring role of the National Housing Council and to strengthen the role of the Housing Advocate.
To this end, we worked with our partners in the Right to Housing Coalition to write an open letter to Prime Minister Trudeau proposing amendments for the government’s consideration. The legislation is now being studied as part of the overall review of Bill C-97, and we hope to see our concerns addressed.
In other news, our policy team has been hard at work updating the Social Assistance Summaries series, a resource which tracks the number of recipients of social assistance across Canada, and how that has changed over time. You can access the 2018 report below, and even download the data for your work.
Also in this issue, you’ll find our analysis of the 2019 Ontario budget, and the latest from our blog series on rights-based participation — a piece by the co-chairs of the ODSP Action Coalition on their strategies for ensuring the leadership of lived experts in advocacy.
As always, thank you for engaging with our work.
Elizabeth McIsaac
President, Maytree
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Why we need cities to fully realize the right to housing in Canada
Canadian cities are at the centre of the current crisis of affordable housing and homelessness, yet rarely equipped with a full set of tools to take on these challenges. But empowering cities to find rights-based solutions is key to protecting and growing adequate housing — and we’re not short of ideas, writes Elizabeth McIsaac. Read the opinion
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Social Assistance Summaries 2018 is now available
The Social Assistance Summaries series tracks the number of recipients of social assistance in each province and territory, and how those numbers have changed over time. We’ve just released the latest update to the series with the data for 2018. View the report
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Four strategies to strengthen the leadership of lived experts in an advocacy network
For this installment of our series on rights-based participation, we reached out to Patricia Smiley and Kyle Vose, co-chairs of the ODSP Action Coalition, to learn more about the Coalition and its approaches to ensuring the leadership of those with lived experience. Read the story
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Maytree’s roundup of the Ontario government’s 2019 budget
This policy backgrounder summarizes the aspects of the 2019 Ontario budget most relevant to Maytree’s work. Read the backgrounder
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Five Good Ideas about bridging the age and culture gap for the new workplace
Nation Cheong and Agapi Gessesse share their ideas on how to engage, include, and support young people so that they become authentic, resilient, and accountable leaders for the future. Watch the session
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I want my country back
The loss of civility that we witness in the public sphere south of the border seems to have crept north. As Sherri Torjman writes, it's time to break free from the stranglehold of the daily barrage of accusations and refocus on substance in policy. Read the article
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May 27: Five Good Ideas about security and justice
In this session, Peter Sloly, a security and justice thought leader, will explore how you and your organization can be more secure while also advancing a more just and sustainable society. Register online
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The state of human rights education: seeking participants
As we pursue our goal of building a culture of rights, we want to gain insight into how young people learn about social, political, and economic rights, and the state of human rights education in formal school settings in Canada. We are looking to interview educators and others in the education world about the challenges and opportunities of teaching human rights in the classroom. If you are interested in being part of this research, please get in touch with Kate Butler at kbutler@maytree.com.
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JAZZ.FM91 launches radio documentary on jazz and human rights
The Journey to Jazz and Human Rights is a new radio documentary series funded by Maytree. The series, which debuted on April 21, will have four episodes, each with its own focus on the role of jazz in the fight for human rights: jazz’s role in the fight for civil rights, in economic rights and in women’s rights, and the music’s deployment around the world as a cultural weapon. Learn more | Listen to part 1 | Listen to part 2
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Toronto for All: Disability Awareness & Inclusion
On April 25, the City of Toronto launched its latest public education initiative under “Toronto for All.” This campaign focuses on accessibility and inclusion of people with disabilities. Be part of the campaign
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The fight for the right to housing in Herongate – ACORN campaign
ACORN tenant leaders in the Herongate community in Ottawa have launched a campaign to push corporate developer Timbercreek for a No Displacement Community Benefits Agreement in the wake of over 100 eviction notices issued to the community last year. Herongate ACORN has released a report outlining tenants’ vision for their community and the terms of the Community Benefits Agreement. Learn more | Read the report
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May 6: Book launch of Funding the Canadian City
The Canadian Tax Foundation and the Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance (IMFG) are launching Funding the Canadian City, a collection of papers by leading experts in the fields of municipal taxation and finance. The book includes timely research on property taxes, new revenue tools for cities, road tolling and congestion pricing, the effects of the sharing economy on municipal revenues, and more. Learn more and register
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May 26: Come from Away (relaxed performance) at the Elgin Theatre
Come from Away is pleased to offer a relaxed performance on Sunday, May 26 at 2:00pm at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto. Relaxed performances welcome patrons of all ages and their family and friends, including patrons on the autism spectrum, patrons with a sensory or communication disorder, ADD/ADHD, or a learning disability, and patrons who would benefit from a relaxed atmosphere. Ticket prices range from $29-$79. Learn more and buy tickets
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