What is National Housing Day?

Note: This blog was updated November 2022

History of National Housing Day

In 1998, a homelessness advocacy group called the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee (TDRC) declared homelessness to be a national disaster. A State of Emergency Declaration was released in October of that year and immediately endorsed by individuals, community agencies, faith groups, labour unions, and various governmental entities. The declaration included the 1% solution which called for all levels of government to invest 1% of their budgets in building social housing.

Beginning in 2000, November 22nd was recognized as National Housing Strategy Day, and in 2017, Canada announced its first-ever National Housing Strategy to ensure that everyone in Canada has access to housing that is both affordable and meets their needs. 22 years later, this day is still celebrated.
 
“National Housing Day is an opportunity for us to reflect on what we have achieved and what still needs to be done to ensure that people in this city have access to affordable housing. We will continue to move forward with innovative programs and policies that move the needle closer to our goal of helping 341,000 households by 2030, but we can’t do this alone. I am committed to continuing to work with our partners in the provincial and federal governments to get more affordable housing and more supportive housing built. By working proactively with these other governments as well as the private sector and non-profit housing organizations, we can continue to maintain existing affordable homes and create new homes that are affordable.” – Mayor John Tory, 2021

 

Housing is a human right image
 

 

Events for 2022 include:

  •    Remarks from the Federal Housing Advocate: The Canadian Human Rights Commission will be hosting an event where the Federal Housing Advocate, Marie-Josée Houle, will be  discussing  the need for a human rights-based approach to addressing the housing crisis in Canada.    
    • Date: November 22, 2022
    • Time: 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm EST 
    • Location: Virtual
  •  Building Community Together Event: The Region of Waterloo will be hosting an event to celebrate the great work community housing providers are doing and highlight the important role they play in housing and helping to Build Community Together in Waterloo region.
    • Date: November 22, 2022
    • Time: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm EST
    • Location: Centre for International Governance Innovation - 67 Erb Street West Waterloo, ON N2L 6C2
  • Autism and Affordable Housing: Promoting Action by Sharing Lessons Learned: In recognition of National Housing Day, The Sinneave Family Foundation will be hosting a presentation in partnership with Aide Canada, highlighting some of the lessons learned from their housing team.
    • Date: November 22, 2022
    • Time: 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm MST
    • Location: Virtual or at The Ability Hub - 3820 24 Ave NW #300, Calgary, AB
  • National Housing Day Event: Homeless Connect Toronto will be hosting a documentary screening and panel discussion to commemorate National Housing Day.
    • Date: November 22, 2022
    • Location: North York Central Library - 5120 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON  M2N 5N9
    • Time: 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm EST
Publication Date: 
2014
Location: 
Canada