October 19th marks the launch of the Red Tent Campaign, a multi-partner campaign to end the coast-to-coast crisis of homelessness and draw attention to the need for a federal housing strategy, such as the federal Bill C-304, should it pass into law.
Rallies in cities across Canada will be held to draw attention to the 300,000 homeless people and the inadequate housing of more than a million others. As a vibrant symbol, carried by hundreds of activists and volunteers, the red-coloured, functional tents will bear the message of “housing is a right” – an international human rights law to which Canada is signatory and bound, but unfortunately does not live up to. The splash of red tents on Parliament Hill, along with other locations across the country, will underscore the key message to parliamentarians: housing is a human right and significantly enhanced investment in housing and housing supports is needed if homelessness is to be eliminated and the right to housing is to be honoured.
Empirical evidence shows that decent, affordable housing is an absolute necessity for good health. On the flip side, inadequate and/or unaffordable housing is linked to:
· Higher risk for illness and death among people who are homeless versus the general population. For example, in Toronto, adult women who are homeless are 10 times more likely to die than other women in the general population;
· High risk of respiratory disease, infectious disease and asthma due to lead, mould, vermin, poor heating, dampness, overcrowding and/or poor ventilation;
· High risk of mental health problems associated with overcrowding;
· Stress, leading to unhealthy coping behaviours, such as tobacco use and substance abuse; and
· Less money available to support other social determinants of health, e.g., nutritious food.
In addition to the adverse affects of poor housing on individual health, let’s comprehend the broader spectrum of health problems associated with low income neighbourhoods.
An Ontario-based study showed children living in poor neighbourhoods had a 67% higher rate of injuries than children living in the wealthiest neighbourhood. Living in a deprived area has also been shown to increase smoking, decrease physical activity, increase depression, increase noise pollution, increase speeding-related accidents, thus impairing a community’s vital signs and its quality of life.
Ensuring access to affordable, adequate, safe housing for all will make an immense contribution to the improvement of emotional and physical health and safety, not only to the immediate health conditions of millions of vulnerable people, but also to the overall health of all Canadians. This information alone should be enough for parliamentarians to ramp up investments in housing across Canada. But in case a reinforcing message is needed, watch for the presence of the Red Tent Campaign in your community!
Christiane Mitchell is the Manager of the Poverty and Health Program of Canada Without Poverty, a national charity based in Ottawa
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