Tuesday September 23, 2025 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends | also see: Housing News
Housing as a human right is being brought forward as a resolution by at least nine municipalities at the 2025 Convention of the Union of the BC Municipalities (UBCM) this week in Victoria.
When housing is packaged as a commodity, that puts the focus on financial investment and maximizing profits.
But everyone needs a place to live. So when housing is treated as a human right the conversation focuses on those who need housing. The key question is about providing housing to meet the needs of individuals, families and communities.
The current model that has turned homes into investment vehicles has — for some people — resulted in homelessness.
Shifting society’s housing focus from profit to people leads to ensuring that everyone has a place to call home. This is the premise of what UBCM delegates will vote on this week.
“It is critical that as we work to tackle the housing crisis, we are building housing that meets people’s needs. It’s not just about a roof over someone’s head, but a home that meets that person’s needs, whether that’s accessibility, space for larger families, pets, and proximity to services,” says housing as a human right advocate Dr Teale Phelps Bondaroff.
Significant support:
“The number of municipalities submitting resolutions calling for the province to recognize housing as a human right shows there’s growing momentum for this call,” says Bondaroff, who is a District of Saanich municipal councillor.
So far, here is the list of BC municipalities that have a motion at UBCM this week. The main motion will be presented by Langford City Councillor Mary Wagner.
- NR17 – Declaring Housing as a Human Right (Langford);
- Whereas recognizing housing as a human right fundamentally shifts government motivations by adding critical urgency and responsibility to ensure access to affordable housing (meaning housing costs are aligned with income) through policies that prevent homelessness, address the escalating housing and homelessness crisis, elminate discrimination, and prioritize the needs of vulnerable nad marginalized populations;
- And whereas the Government of Canada affirmed the right to housing as a matte rof international law and enshrined it domestically through the National Housing Strategy Act (2019), recognizing housing as a human right and establishing mechanisms for accountability and inclusion;
- Therefore be it resolved that the UBCM call for the BC Government to enshrine housing as a human right in legislation and forthcoming housing and homelessness strategies, ensuring that housing policy in British Columbia is grounded in principles of equity, accessibility, accountability, and the inherent dignity of all people.
- RR7 – Declaring Housing as a Human Right (Vancouver); RR8 – Declaring Housing as a Human Right (Burnaby);
- RR9 – Housing as a Human Right (Nanaimo City);
- RR10 – Declaring Housing as a Human Right (Saanich);
- RR11 – Declaring Housing as a Human Right (North Vancouver City);
- RR12 – Declaring Housing as a Human Right (Victoria);
- RR13 – Declaring Housing as a Human Right (Langley City);
- RR14 – Housing as a Human Right (Port Moody)
“We wanted to send a very powerful signal to the province that this needs to be a critical component of efforts to tackle the housing crisis moving forward. And as municipal council members, we see every day how leadership is needed from higher levels of government to tackle the housing crisis,” he said.
“Ultimately, a lot of municipalities stepped up and called for this resolution because it is important and will be transformative if adopted by the province,” says Bondaroff.
Having a home allows for family stability, community involvement, and space for recreation and growing food (if there is a yard).
Federal government recognition:
The federal government has already recognized housing as a human right, and this led to the creation of the Federal Housing Advocate. In other jurisdictions, this recognition has led to policies like Housing First.
Housing as a Human Right has been legislated in Canada at the federal level since 2019 and is included in the National Housing Strategy.
Protection:
All provincial and territorial human rights codes include protections against the denial of housing and/or discrimination in the housing sphere. Yet, no Canadian province or territory currently enshrines housing as a stand-alone right in its human rights code or other laws.
===== RELATED:
- BC urban mayors want more provincial funding to address housing gaps and homelessness (September 22, 2025)
- BC municipal leaders gather for 2025 UBCM convention Sept 22 to 26 in Victoria (September 21, 2025)
- NEWS SECTIONS: HOUSING | UBCM