Homes for Women / Toits pour elles a compilation of Recommendations to address women’s homelessness in Canada from Research Reports Available in electronic format on homesforwomen ca “News and Events” Table of Contents


Increase stock of affordable housing



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Increase stock of affordable housing


Canada may need to embark again on large-scale building of social housing. [UN-ECOSOC]

Canada should reinstate or increase, where necessary, social housing programmes for those in need, improving and properly enforcing anti-discrimination legislation in the field of housing, increasing shelter allowances and social assistance rates to realistic levels, and providing adequate support services for persons with disabilities. [UN-ECOSOC]

The YWCA and other homeless serving agencies should strongly consider further development of women-only permanent housing buildings and programs. [A Place to Rest]

Ensure an adequate supply of a variety of low-income housing stock is available for women and children in environments that can be kept safe and secure...We are specifically recommending an increase in low-income housing stock, as affordable housing in the northern context can be far too expensive for women with modest incomes. Some options could include:



  • For single women, bachelor apartment units or dormitory style housing, in places throughout the community, with rent geared to income.

  • For women or couples with dependent children, existing or new housing stock can be used with rent-geared-to-income approaches.

  • Encouragement for new forms of low-income housing, such as non-profit or social housing, would help to increase the supply of low-income housing and also spread the work involved with this housing option to those groups.

  • Subsidies could be attached to the person needing the housing rather than to the housing stock. [You Just Blink...]

  • More affordable housing should be made available in the Halifax Regional Municipality [Testing an Integrated…]

Funding for housing

Increase spending on social housing to at least 1% of total expenditures. [Voices]

Increase transfer payments to the provinces specifically for social housing and income support programs. [Voices]

Funding for new rental housing supply should be made conditional on non-discriminatory rental practices and on ensuring that the stock will remain affordable rental in the future. [Barriers]

Resolve current shortages in safe, accessible, affordable housing available to Aboriginal women and their families through adequate funding for renovations and building of new units. [Aboriginal Women and Homelessness…]

Expand Immigrant Settlement funding to effectively assist newcomers with housing. [Testing an Integrated…]

Immigrant settlement services should include supports to help newcomers find safe and affordable housing. [Testing an Integrated…]

Federal housing funding in the Territories

The Federal Government must provide funding mechanisms to encourage and support the development of low-income housing in the Territories. Women living in the three Territories have been seriously disadvantaged by the decision to reduce federal social housing dollars to all jurisdictions. In the Territories, there is a cumulative impact, as per capita funding mechanisms further limit the Territories’ ability to address critical housing needs. [You Just Blink...]



Implement a national housing strategy


Implement and adequately fund a national housing strategy. [Voices]

Create a national housing policy that takes into account the special circumstances and needs of vulnerable women. A National Housing Policy would establish national standards for the design, implementation, monitoring and enforcement of laws, policies and strategies for housing support programs that meet the specific needs of women. The National Housing Policy would need to allocate base funding to regions of Canada according to “needs” rather than on a per capita basis to respond to the overwhelming housing needs of women in the North. [You Just Blink...]

… adopt a comprehensive and coordinated national housing policy based on indivisibility of human rights and the protection of the most vulnerable. This national strategy should include measurable goals and timetables, consultation and collaboration with affected communities, complaints procedures, and transparent accountability mechanisms. [UN-ECOSOC]

Canada should adopt a national strategy on affordable housing that engages all levels of government including Aboriginal governments, Aboriginal people, civil society and the private sector. The strategy will require permanent and adequate funding and legislation set within a rights-based framework. [UN-ECOSOC]

Federal and Provincial governments should immediately implement a National Housing Strategy that increases the range and types of affordable, safe housing for visible and hidden homeless women and their children. [Common Occurrence]

Ensure that women’s housing needs across their lifespan are met. A National Housing Policy would comply with principles of best practice and offer a continuum of housing services responsive to changing needs and circumstances, from emergency shelter, to supported housing, to housing for women and children and for seniors and elders. To incorporate another principle of best practice, homeless women would be included in the development of such a National Housing Policy. [You Just Blink...]

The federal government, along with the provinces, must create an informed plan for the creation of a continuum of housing options for homeless people, including a specific plan for stopping girl homelessness. To date, Canada does not have a strategic and coordinated provincial/territorial or national approach to housing homeless teenagers nor any national anti-homelessness plan. [Bricks and Mortar]

Inclusion of First Nation, Métis and Inuit women

Across the country mainstream organizations and networks are undertaking a variety of activities to demand federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments to address the housing crisis across Canada. These mainstream organizations and networks must work harder to ensure that Aboriginal women’s groups are informed of and included in these activities and sought as partners for collaborative activities. [Barriers]

In reserves, there is a need to commit funding and resources to a targeted Aboriginal housing strategy that ensures Aboriginal housing and services under Aboriginal control. [UN-ECOSOC]

An Inuit-specific housing policy ensuring an adequate standard of housing should be developed. [Barriers]






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