Diverse stakeholders come together to improve housing

In late 2015, the federal government committed to the creation of a National Housing Strategy based on the vision that “housing is the cornerstone of building sustainable, inclusive communities and a strong Canadian economy where we can prosper and thrive.” In response, a group of non-profit and private housing associations, and foundations came together to form the National Housing Collaborative. The Collaborative was envisioned as a time-limited alliance that would bring together a diverse group of housing experts and stakeholders to develop a shared policy submission to the National Housing Strategy consultation.

Our goal was to develop a limited number of transformative, durable and innovative policy recommendations that support a vibrant housing system, maximize benefits for Canadians, and can be incorporated into the National Housing Strategy.

Finding ways to work together

The Collaborative faced three challenges at the outset:

• We had to achieve agreement among a group of stakeholders who weren’t always known to get along;
• We had to produce potentially transformative policy solutions that were supported by both evidence and stakeholders across the country; and
• We had very little time in which to do it.

To meet these challenges, the Collaborative adopted a flexible structure and adaptive process. The Secretariat provided a dedicated staff team to steward research and development, design and lead convening and regional outreach processes, and coordinate project activities. The Research Working Group ­– a sub-group of Collaborative members who were experts in conducting policy research – oversaw and directed the research. The United Way Toronto & York Region provided administrative oversight of the Secretariat, led resource development, and maintained relationships with key government partners.

The Collaborative combined intensive relationship-building with original policy research. We kept in frequent contact, either individually or within smaller working groups, through bi-weekly (or weekly) telephone conferences, and numerous workshops. In addition, we held two multi-day retreats, one at the beginning of the process and one as the group turned to finalizing its submission to the National Housing Strategy. The retreats gave partners extended time together to hash out the details of their proposals, come to better understand the rationale and interests behind their policy positions – and also to socialize. The Collaborative commissioned external consultants to conduct original policy research and development. Crucially, this provided a shared basis for understanding, as well as evidence to guide our deliberations.

To ensure our recommendations were grounded in the reality of the diversity of Canada’s housing markets, we hosted regional discussions in Vancouver, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, and St. John’s. We also held phone conferences with representatives from the territories and a national call devoted solely to indigenous housing issues. These discussions brought practitioners, providers, people with lived experience and key constituents together to explore ideas and provide input into the policy development process.

Because we were working within such a short timeframe, we made the hard decision to limit the number of organizations that were part of the Collaborative and our activities. This meant that we worked with a “smaller tent” but increased our prospects for achieving consensus. And we were fortunate that Maytree, the Lived Experience Advisory Council and United Way Centraide Canada undertook a community consultation process that focused on engaging communities and individuals with lived experience of housing need.

Coming together on recommendations

The Collaborative proposed four recommendations for government action. We call them the “four pillars,” as they serve as stanchions to support the National Housing Strategy and improve affordability for Canadians in housing need:

1. Adopt a national goal to end homelessness within ten years, and launch a pan-Canadian initiative to make it happen. 
2. Develop a national housing benefit that provides direct financial assistance to renters, moving households out of poverty and providing them with more choice and autonomy. 
3. Maintain and increase the supply of affordable rental housing across the country through innovative financing and equity tools. 
4. Provide leadership and resources to strengthen and renew our existing social housingto ensure it remains physically sound and financially viable.

These four pillars are complementary and interconnected. They represent both the supply- and demand-side measures we need to address Canada’s critical housing challenges. If implemented, the positive effects will reverberate throughout the housing system. The National Housing Strategy can be a turning point for housing policy in Canada.

The power of a unified voice

The power of the Collaborative lies in bringing diverse interests together as one voice to develop and advocate for policy proposals.

This started in the first phase of the Collaborative’s work, which focused on developing the four pillar recommendations. These recommendations were backed by evidence, of course. And, more significantly, they were submitted and supported by stakeholders from across the housing system.

In our second phase, we worked to ensure housing was a priority in the federal budget. It was. (Success!) Further, this spring’s federal budget indicates that many of the Collaborative’s proposals seem to have resonated with the federal government.

Now we are working together on a critical, final task: to ensure that these four pillars are embedded in the National Housing Strategy.

The National Housing Strategy is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve housing affordability. The National Housing Collaborative seized this opportunity by pooling resources, expertise and influence. Together, we have had an impact greater than we could each have achieved individually. Building on our successes so far, the Collaborative will continue to work with government to ensure every person in Canada has a suitable, adequate and affordable place to call home.