OTTAWA, ON, March 26, 2026 /CNW/ - The National Housing Council (the Council) has launched a review panel hearing on the lack of accessible housing in Canada.
The Federal Housing Advocate asked the Council to hold the hearing, citing concerns about how the lack of accessible housing affects the human rights of people with disabilities and older adults.
The Council has appointed three of its members – Simon April, Teresa Goldstein, and Sam Watts - to sit on the review panel. In the coming months, the panel will collect submissions through an online form. Panel members will also meet with people directly affected by the issue, along with service providers, researchers, and other experts. Federal departments and other levels of government will be asked to provide information about what they are doing to address the issue.
Based on the evidence they receive, the review panel will make recommendations directly to the federal Minister responsible for housing, who is required to table a response in Parliament.
"For people with disabilities, having an accessible home is fundamental to our dignity and health," says Simon April, chair of the review panel. "Yet across Canada, whether in large cities or rural areas, it is almost impossible to find housing adapted to our needs."
Review panel member Teresa Goldstein explains that the hearing aims to shine a light on the barriers that people with disabilities and older adults face in finding accessible housing or modifying their homes as their needs change. "By 2037, Canada's older adult population is projected to reach 10.4 million, and 27 percent of Canadians have a disability," she explains. "But there is almost no data on how much accessible housing we have, how much more is required, and what people are doing to fill the gap."
Despite the scope of the issue, review panel member Sam Watts expresses optimism. "Canada has the tools in place to turn this around. The Accessible Canada Act proclaims a goal of a barrier-free Canada by 2040. The National Housing Strategy Act recognizes housing as a basic human right. And the federal government is working to expand home-building across the country. This is a moment of opportunity – we just have to get everyone rowing in the same direction."
Background
See the National Housing Council website for more information on the review panel on the lack of accessible housing in Canada. The review panel members are:
- Simon April (Chair)
- Dr. Teresa Goldstein (member)
- Sam Watts (member)
The National Housing Council is an advisory body to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, first established in 2020. With appointed members from across Canada who bring diverse expertise and backgrounds, the Council helps promote participation and inclusion in the development of housing policy by engaging with communities.
Review panels are a participatory human-rights based accountability mechanism established under the National Housing Strategy Act (NHS Act) to support the progressive realization of the right to adequate housing in Canada, as recognized under the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. The Federal Housing Advocate has authority under the NHS Act to issue a request to the Council to establish a review panel on a systemic housing issue that falls within the jurisdiction of Parliament.
A review panel must hold a hearing in which the public can participate, particularly members of communities affected by the issue. At the end of its hearing, based on the evidence received, a review panel prepares a report with recommendations to the Minister. The Minister is required under the Act to respond to a review panel report within 120 days of receiving it, and to table the response in Parliament.
Disclaimer
The views or opinions expressed on this news release and the report are solely those of the Review Panel on the Lack of Accessible Housing in Canada, and do not represent or reflect the official policy or position of the Government of Canada and/or Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC), or the National Housing Council. The Review Panel does not act or speak on behalf of the Government of Canada or HICC.
SOURCE Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
Contacts: For more information, please contact National Housing Council Secretariat: Email: Review Panel / Commission d'Examen (INFC), [email protected]
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