On March 4, 2011, the Canadian Senate marked the one year anniversary of the release of its report In From the Margins: A Call to Action on Poverty, Housing and Homelessness with a symposium. Led by Senator Art Eggleton, the key proponent of the report, the symposium focused on reviewing the progress made on its recommendations – which call for all levels of government to take an integrated, “housing first” approach to homelessness and poverty.

In From the Margin Report (PDF)

The housing first model advocates addressing housing and homelessness as a single, integrated issue rather than two separate issues that require completely different approaches. In both the report and at the symposium, it was reflected in Eggleton’s main suggestion for housing, which is that housing provision should be a system that focuses broadly on supplying everyone in need with affordable and adequate housing. Taking such an approach, Eggleton contends, would give rise to dramatically improved health and educational outcomes and would better enable the self-sufficiency of poor Canadians.  It would also reduce the excessive social and financial costs of poverty, a theme highlighted in the report.

The primary recommendation in the report (which was reiterated at the symposium) was the need for Canadian income support programs to do more to actively lift people out of poverty by targeting the root of poverty. A key element in addressing this would be a national poverty reduction strategy, which Senators have called for.

A corresponding national housing strategy, according to Eggleton, is also part of the solution. When asked from an audience member about the amount of funding needed to improve the state of social housing, he emphasized the need for a federal housing strategy, and called on all levels of government to increase their levels of leadership and commitment to Canada’s affordable housing sector through the support of Bill C-304 The Secure, Adequate, Accessible and Affordable Housing Act.

Eggleton stressed the importance of continuing to build on the report’s findings; he stated that “This symposium keeps the momentum going as we work to strengthen the engagement of the federal government to adopt comprehensive strategies on poverty, housing and homelessness.”

The report and its recommendations were the result of a two-year Canada wide consultation.

Further Reading:

• In From the Margins: A Call to Action on Poverty, Housing and Homelessness
• Bill C-304 The Secure, Adequate, Accessible and Affordable Housing Act
• Senator Art Eggleton’s website featuring:
  • A poverty fact sheet
  • Commentary on the recent United Way report, Poverty by Postal Code (partially funded by SHSC)
  • Statement on the need for a national housing strategy