Federal government nixes national housing strategy plan
WINNIPEG, MB—Representatives from Christian organizations working to end homelessness in Canada are disappointed about the defeat of a bill proposing a national housing strategy.
In February, the House of Commons defeated Bill C-400 153-129. The bill urged the Canadian government to create a plan to address the crisis of homelessness and inadequate housing in Canada.
"It's disappointing that we don't have a national housing strategy for people who are marginalized and in need of affordable housing," says Floyd Perras, executive director of Winnipeg's Siloam Mission. "It's fairly clear that the current system isn't working, and provincial welfare rates certainly don't meet the need for people to adequately house themselves."
Simon Lewchuk, a socio-economic policy analyst with Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ) in Ottawa, agrees. He says CPJ hoped the bill would at least make it to a point in the legislative process where politicians would sit down and seriously talk about homelessness and inadequate housing.
"With the severity of homelessness, and the moral and economic issue that it is, don't you at least think it's something to talk about?" Lewchuk says.
An estimated 400,000 Canadians do not have adequate homes. The UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing has observed that "Canada is one of the few countries in the world without a national housing strategy."
In the months leading up to the vote, the CPJ used Dignity for All—a campaign to end poverty that it co-founded in 2009 with Canada Without Poverty—to organize a nationwide campaign to mobilize faith communities, advocacy groups and research outlets around the bill.
Several faith groups, including the United Church of Canada, the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) sent action calls to their members and posted information about the bill on their websites.
"We saw an incredible opportunity to raise the profile of homelessness in Canada, but also to get the government back to the table in a coordinated fashion ... to come up with a strategy," says Lewchuk, who describes the government's current work to end homelessness as a patchwork of programs that do not adequately address the issue.
"A piecemeal approach isn't enough," he says.
Susan Johnson, national bishop of the ELCIC, says the Lutheran Church will continue to advocate for the homeless in Canada.
"We want to be a church in mission for others," Johnson says. "So acting on the issue of homelessness and affordable housing is one way we can be a church in mission for others."
The ELCIC will meet in July with the Anglican Church of Canada to draft a shared resolution on housing and homelessness, which will commit both groups to educating their members on the topic as well as advocating the government for further action.
"We know this is a way we can respond to Jesus' call to follow Him," Johnson says.
The CPJ will also continue its work.
Lewchuk suggests individual churches begin their response to homelessness by taking the time to learn about what poverty and homelessness looks like in their own neighbourhoods.
"The Church is often known for the things that we're against," Lewchuk says. "But until the Church can really start to...articulate a vision for hopeful societal change, we've got our work cut out for us."
Perras agrees.
"These kinds of opposition bills...do help provide some focus on the issues," he says. "But somehow we've all got to get working together to make [a solution] happen."
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