This document summarizes a presentation by Michael Shapcott from the Wellesley Institute on legal advocacy for housing and social issues. The presentation notes that we live in a complex, dynamic and increasingly unequal world. It discusses rising inequality in Canada, with the rich getting richer while middle and lower income groups fall behind. The presentation recommends advocacy approaches like identifying root causes, following the money, leveraging rights based approaches, and creating smart solutions. It encourages advocates to identify "homelessness makers" and take action on affordable housing wait lists. The presentation argues housing is critical for health and advocates should use all tools and a rights based approach to tackle complex social issues.
Legal Champions Making Change in a Complex, Dynamic, and Increasingly Unequal World
1. Legal champions
making change in
complex, dynamic,
increasingly
unequal world!
ACLCO AGM - May 11, 2012
Michael Shapcott; Director, Housing and Innovation; The Wellesley Institute
2. Two things we know:
1
We live in a
complex,
dynamic world
3. Environment Culture Jobs
Food
Income Clothing
Recreation Transit
Health Childcare
Medicine
Inclusion
Housing
Not just one
thing or
Education another... but
everything!
4. Two things we know:
1
We live in a
complex,
dynamic world
2
We live in an
increasingly
unequal world
6. “After 20 years of
continuous decline,
both inequality and
poverty rates have
increased rapidly in
the past 10 years,
now reaching levels
above the OECD
average.”
“In the last 10 years, the rich have been
getting richer leaving both middle and
poorer income classes behind. The rich in
Canada are particularly rich compared to their
counterparts in other countries.”
OECD (2008), Growing Unequal? : Income Distribution and
Poverty in OECD Countries
7.
8. Selected policy recommendations for OECD
countries from Divided We Stand
• Reforming tax and benefit policies is
the most direct instrument for increasing
redistributive effects. Large and
persistent losses in low-income groups
following recessions underline the
importance of government transfers and
well-conceived income-support policies.
• The growing share of income going to
top earners means that this group now
has a greater capacity to pay taxes. In
this context governments may re-
examine the redistributive role of
taxation to ensure that wealthier
individuals contribute their fair share of
the tax burden.
9. d pr ivate
uali ty an 95%
of
Ineq mar kets Cana
dians
hou sing each
home
s in p
live i
n
out or r owne rivate
rea sing rship
inc renta
l mar
kets
/
10. d pr ivate
uali ty an
Ineq mar kets
hou sing each
out or r
rea sing
inc Typical two-bedroom apt:
$40,080 household income
CMHC
Entry level condominium:
$54,900 household income
RBC Economics, August 2011
50% of renter h/hs have
annual income <$34,400
50% of owner h/hs have
annual income <$67,000
CMHC
12. Bad housing makes you sick!
Homelessness:
Increased morbidity
Increased premature morality
Contextual:
Individual / neighbourhood deprivation
networks / friends / crime
Biological / physical:
Chemicals, gases, pollutants
Socio-economic: Design (accidents) / crowding
Affordability / energy
Transportation / income / jobs
Mental health:
Alarming rates... especially
Clinical depression and anxiety
Control / meaning
Collective efficacy
13. Good housing good for health!
Physical and mental health:
Better health outcomes /
decreased health care utilization
Environment / physical infrastructure:
New housing, repairs, heating, noise,
indoor + outdoor environmental issues,
allergens, water + sanitation
Community safety:
Reduced recidivism among
people leaving incarceration
Affordability interventions:
Income-based housing subsidies
14. New tools required to better understand
complex and dynamic social systems
15. What can legal
clinics do to tackle
complex housing /
social issues???
1
Identify and
take action on
root causes...
16. TO affordable housing wait list
8213
85000# 08
8
e 20
si nc
80000#
2 3%
Up
75000#
70000#
63 791
65000#
60000#
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
December 2011: 82,138 households on
wait list; 280 housed - 24 year wait
18. ‘Social spending in Canada relies more on
public services (education, health, etc.)
than on cash transfers, such as
unemployment and family benefits.’
OECD, 2011
Make the connections...
19. Ongoing erosion of federal housing investments
(Federal housing investments as a percentage of GDP)
1.20%
1.10%
1.00%
0.90%
0.80%
0.70%
0.60%
0.50%
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Follow the money...
20. 2011 federal spending estimates
Last year This year Change
Assisted $1.722b $1.628b 5% cut
housing
On-reserve $215m $156m 27% cut
Repair $674m $37m 94% cut
AHI $452m $16m 97% cut
Overall $3.131b $1.907b 39% cut
‘Scheduled termination’
28. International Covenant on Economic, Social
and Cultural Rights: Article 11
1. The States Parties to the present Covenant
recognize the right of everyone to an adequate
standard of living for himself and his family,
including adequate food, clothing and housing, and
to the continuous improvement of living conditions.
The States Parties will take appropriate steps to
ensure the realization of this right, recognizing to
this effect the essential importance of international
co-operation based on free consent.
29. 31st October 1945. MACKAY J.:—This is an application brought
by Drummond Wren... to have declared invalid a restrictive
covenant... namely, ‘Land not to be sold to Jews or persons of
objectionable nationality.’...
First and of profound significance is the recent San Francisco
Charter, to which Canada was a signatory, and which the
Dominion Parliament has now ratified. Under articles 1 and 55 of
this Charter, Canada is pledged to promote ‘universal respect for,
and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for
all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion.’...
An order will therefore go declaring that the restrictive
covenant attacked by the applicant is void and of no effect.
30.
31. Miloon Kothari, former UN Rapporteur
on Right to Adequate Housing
‘Housing
is a human
right’
32. UN Special Rapporteur, 2009
“Canada has a long and proud history of
housing successes, and has been known
around the world for its innovative
housing solutions. The Special Rapporteur
visited and received information about
programmes, laws and policies that
represent good practices... Canada can
also rely on a tremendous range of
academic and civil society resources.” !
“There has been a significant erosion of housing rights
over the past two decades. Canada’s successful social
housing programme, which created more than half a
million homes starting in 1973, has been discontinued.