National public health coalition commends Government of Canada on national housing strategy

OTTAWA, 22 November 2017 – The Canadian Coalition for Public Health in the 21st Century (CCPH21) commends the government on its investment of $40 billion over 10 years to support a national housing strategy.

“There is a clear relationship between health outcomes, and the availability, affordability and quality of housing,” said Eric Mang, co-chair of CCPH21. “Until today, Canada was the only G7 country without a national housing strategy; we’re very pleased that the government has chosen to act.”

In its June 2017 position statement on core housing need, CCPH21 called on the Government of Canada to collaborate with provinces, territories and Indigenous peoples’ governance organizations to:

• Develop a National Housing Strategy and housing policies that address all aspects of core housing need throughout the country; 
• Support an Indigenous Housing Strategy that is developed and implemented by Indigenous peoples and reflects their needs; and
• Provide adequate funding to respond specifically to those populations and regions that are in the greatest core housing need, while fostering equitable approaches to meet the developing needs in the rest of the country.

“We know that poor housing conditions are linked to increased morbidity from infectious diseases including respiratory illness, poor mental health, chronic illness and injury. This new national housing strategy will help improve collaboration among provinces and territories, municipalities, and the private sector to address this issue head on and tailor solutions that meet specific populations and regions’  needs,” said Ian Culbert, CCPH21 co-chair. “The challenge now is to ensure that funding is directed—as quickly as possible—on a priority basis to those with the greatest need. We value this important work and look forward to seeing more government action specifically on issues related to Indigenous people’s housing.”

About the Canadian Coalition for Public Health in the 21st Century

The Canadian Coalition for Public Health in the 21st Century (CCPH21) is a national network of 20 organizations that believe that public health is a pan-Canadian responsibility requiring national leadership with a co-operative approach across sectors and jurisdiction. It advocates for public policy to ensure that adequate public health functions are in place and information is made available to protect and promote health, and prevent disease and injury. CCPH21 aims to help all stakeholders work together for the future of public health by generating ideas and potential policy directions for discussion among both the public and decision-makers.