Rnothing less!
A report which concludes that the fundamental right to housing is being violated in Gatineau, where a permanent housing crisis has been raging for twenty years, aggravated by the proximity of Ottawa as well as by two floods and a tornado in 3 years.
Ironic, however, that in order to wake up the decision-makers here, it is necessary to challenge the highest authorities on the planet in terms of economic, social and cultural rights …
I say decision makers, but I should say people in general.
Admit that the right to housing, we all take it for granted as long as we have a roof over our heads. If you’re lucky enough to have a good salary that can cover the mortgage, you’ll never really worry about it.
Even that we will consolidate in the idea that the right to housing is largely acquired in a rich and prosperous society like Canada.
If we see a makeshift camp for the homeless appear near Gîte Ami, we will say: it is the fact of a minority, there are people to take care of them …
Perhaps we will even add: what are the police waiting for to dismantle the camp? It’s messy, it’s messy …
We do not tolerate the spectacle of misery making us guilty of our good fortune.
So we prefer to close our eyes. Until reality catches up with us and a shelter talks about settling in our neighborhood.
So there, all of a sudden, the housing crisis interests us greatly! Hey, not in my backyard, the refuge!
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The great merit of this report from the League of Rights and Freedoms is to put us face to face with a reality that we too often refuse to see.
In the case of Gatineau, we can speak of a permanent crisis.
Governments may invest millions, it’s like in health, we have the impression of never seeing the end of it.
The main victims of this crisis?
Women, large families, often from immigrant backgrounds, and those who are struggling to make ends meet.
In their case, the violation of the right to a decent rent results in a cascade of other violations of their fundamental rights: security, food, health, education …
The report reminds us that for a homeless woman, finding a home sometimes means agreeing to return to live with a partner who is violent or who demands sexual favors.
For a black immigrant family, it is almost certain that they will be asked for a credit report or references that they do not have. Or to be turned around by a racist owner: it’s already rented, better luck next time.
The solution?
In the short term, it is boring, but we must continue to invest more in affordable and social housing. Even if it’s just a plaster on the bobo.
In the longer term, we must aim for a fairer, more egalitarian society. Basically, the housing crisis is also a problem of poverty. Governments must also intervene more so that the real estate sector is not dominated solely by the search for profit, and leaves a place for the less well-off.
We also have a collective responsibility: to open our eyes to this sad reality. The housing crisis is the revealer of our worst social inequalities.
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