CPJ and Partners Stand Up for the Right to Housing

By Citizens for Public Justice

CPJ and our partners—both faith-based and secular—are sending a message to the federal government that communities across Canada support the right to housing, and that we expect bold action to curb the financialization of housing.

The National Housing Council’s (NHC) Financialization of Purpose-Built Rental Housing Review Panel

Through 2023 and 2024, the National Housing Council held a review panel on the Financialization of Purpose-Built Rental Housing. The Federal Housing Advocate called for the review to examine “the growing dominance of financial actors in the housing sector, which is transforming the main function of housing from a place to live into a financial asset and a tool for investor profits.”

In consultation with a number of partner faith organizations, CPJ made a submission to the Review. Click the button below to download and read the review:

Our recommendations were selected in solidarity with several housing and human rights research and advocacy partners, including those led by people with lived experience of housing insecurity and homelessness.

The submission was endorsed by the following churches and faith communities:

Canadian Poverty Institute

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

Le Centre Oblat: A Voice for Justice

The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory

The Dale Ministries, Parkdale, Toronto, ON

Davenport Perth Community Ministry, Toronto, ON

Citygate Vancouver, Vancouver, BC

FACE of Poverty, Halifax, NS

Dr. Barry Rieder, Jane Finch Community Ministry, Toronto, ON, United Church of Canada

Major Juan Burry, The Salvation Army Booth Centre, St. Catharines, ON

Stella Lord, Member of the Congregation, Cathedral Church of All Saints Halifax, NS

Following up and accountability: the New Federal Government Action Guide

The Financialization of Purpose-Built Rental Housing Review Panel left the government with several key recommendations that the federal government elected in May 2025 hasn’t implemented.

The National Right to Housing Network has published the New Federal Government Action Guide [PDF], which calls on the government to uphold its own commitments to the right to housing by fully implementing the recommendations it received from the financialization review panel last year.

Financialization Government Action Guide 2025 FINAL 1 989x1280

We encourage CPJ members to download and read the New Federal Government Action Guide to see concrete recommendations for what the government can do to address the housing crisis effectively and equitably—and to determine whether they’re on track.

What else can you do?

Get familiar with Neha, the NHC’s current Review Panel on the right to housing for women, Two Spirit, Trans, and gender-diverse people. CPJ has also made a written submission to this panel, which you can learn about on our Neha Review Panel webpage. Details on oral hearings for this review panel are available here, along with links to view the oral hearing sessions.

·Become a CPJ member by making a donation of any size. CPJ membership is a powerful way to amplify your voice and join the collective effort for faith-inspired public justice. Your financial support enables CPJ staff to push our leaders to make better decisions that recognize God’s call to respect the dignity of all.

Subscribe to JusticE-News, CPJ’s digital newsletter. We often share key calls for engagement and resources, which are key ways to join us in our mission to bring faith-inspired justice to social and environmental policy in Canada!

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