To solve the housing crisis, we need to use accountability as a tool, not a trap 

The City of Toronto has committed to holding itself accountable for the human right to housing.  

As someone who has been involved, invested – and independent – in this work to build accountability, I’ve been reflecting on where we are, and what we need to do next. 

First, we all want the same thing: for every person in Toronto to have a home. In these polarized times, we can’t take that consensus for granted, so it’s worth noting that city councillors, city staff, community organizations, leaders, and advocates agree. We are working towards a common goal.  

The challenge comes when we’re not on the same page about what the right to housing means, and how it will get us there. 

Here’s one thing people often get wrong about a human rights-based approach: they think it’s a trap. A boogey-man lurking around every corner trying to catch them doing something wrong. They look at it as an instrument for casting shame. 

Maybe we are accustomed to thinking about human rights systems as “complaint” driven (as in, individuals can bring a complaint against you for violating their human rights). Some of them are. Seeking remedy for harm is important and necessary, as are the mechanisms that ensure that people can do so. To many people, this has become the totality of what accountability is. But we must also pay attention to the change-making potential of accountability. Developing actionable plans with targets and timelines, measuring impact, monitoring and adjusting as we go – all of these accountability practices set us up for success. 

This is what many people may not see about the human rights-based approach: it is a constructive force for progress. It compels us towards what we know to be right by providing us with real-life guidance about how to get there. This includes embedding human rights principles into our practices so that they become enduring features of our decision making and our social systems. As we establish the structures that will help our governments be accountable on the human right to housing, we need to make sure we are establishing the constructive as well as the corrective. 

To this end, the HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan recommended that the City create a Housing Commissioner. Ultimately, the City decided to move forward with a Deputy Ombudsman (Housing) and also to establish the Housing Rights Advisory Committee. I am the inaugural chair of this committee and work actively with the various parts of the City and the Ombudsman’s Office to figure out how to deliver on the right to housing together.  

From this unique inside-outside vantage point, I see the need to determine if we are getting this right. We need to be ready to change or adjust – our rules, structures, or approaches – to better serve our common goal. People must be able to see the outcomes of this work in their lives.  

It is early days, but not too early for us to start holding ourselves accountable. We have to do some honest reflecting while we have the time to course correct, if we need to. We are now half-way through Toronto’s current 10-year housing plan. Many see what we’re doing now as a test. We need to show that we can be effective. Fair or not, if we don’t get this right, we might not get another chance. Those who would like to see a human rights-based approach to housing fail will be ready to argue that we need to do something different (or nothing at all). 

The good news is that, although it doesn’t always feel this way, we are in a good place. We have explicit commitments from the City, we have public will to solve the housing crisis, and we are putting the tools we need in place. In my experience, leaders at the City see how a human rights approach brings clarity to our work, and they understand that when it is implemented, it can improve people’s lives.  

And, it bears repeating, we all want the same thing. Every person in Toronto should have a home. Healthy, well-rounded accountability structures can help us get there. We can’t let misunderstandings, inertia, or our own egos get in the way of getting this work done. It’s imperative that we keep working together and towards our common goal. We need to let go of our fear that accountability for human rights is a trap and embrace it as a tool for progress.