Statement – Neha report: Roadmap for the right to housing for women and gender-diverse people

Press Release

Ottawa, Ontario – Office of the Federal Housing Advocate and Canadian Human Rights Commission

Following the release of the Neha review panel’s final report and the response from the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, Gregor Robertson, the Federal Housing Advocate, Marie-Josée Houle, and the Chief Commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission, Charlotte-Anne Malischewski, issue the following statement:

The Federal Housing Advocate and the Chief Commissioner thank members of the Neha Review Panel for their rigorous, independent, and deeply engaged examination of the right to safe, adequate, and affordable housing for women, Two-Spirit, Trans, and gender-diverse people, and the government’s duty to uphold this right. Their work stands as a powerful example of how the accountability mechanisms established under the National Housing Strategy Act can elevate the voices of rights-holders and strengthen the realization of the right to adequate housing in Canada.

Through extensive written submissions and oral hearings, Neha heard from more than 500 individuals and organizations across the country, including Indigenous rights-holders, advocates, and experts. Based on this evidence, the panel concluded that Canada is not meeting its obligations to progressively realize the right to housing in a gender-responsive and equitable manner. Neha’s final report sets out clear, actionable recommendations aimed at transforming federal housing and homelessness policy so that women and gender-diverse people can be housed with dignity, safety, and equality.

The Advocate and the Chief Commissioner echo Neha’s recommendations, and urge the federal government to meaningfully implement them. This must include ensuring that women, gender-diverse people, and Indigenous rights-holders are actively involved in shaping forthcoming housing policies and programs as well as efforts to mitigate the gendered impacts of the cost-of-living crisis. As the government prepares to renew the National Housing Strategy and moves forward on Build Canada Homes, Neha’s recommendations provide timely and essential guidance.

The Advocate and the Chief Commissioner welcome the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure’s response to the Neha review panel, which was tabled in Parliament on April 17, 2026. It reflects a shared understanding of the government’s commitment to advance the right to housing using human rights- and Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus)- based approaches, the need to engage with equity-deserving groups, and the importance of taking a whole-of-government approach that involves collaboration with other jurisdictions and Indigenous partners. At the same time, the response falls short of concrete commitments to implement Neha’s recommendations. Future responses would be strengthened by a more direct engagement with review panel findings and by setting out concrete plans, timelines, and accountability measures.

The Federal Housing Advocate will continue to use her mandate under the National Housing Strategy Act to monitor progress, support accountability, and work alongside communities and partners to ensure that Neha’s recommendations translate into real change.

Together, the Advocate and the Commission share a commitment to advancing the human right to housing so that everyone in Canda can live in safe, adequate, and affordable housing, without discrimination.

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Quotes

“Neha shows what is possible when rights-holders are heard and when human rights are placed at the centre of housing policy. Women, Two-Spirit, trans, and gender-diverse people – particularly those who are Indigenous – said clearly that homelessness is not a personal failure, but a systemic one. The Neha reports provide a strong roadmap for action. Implementing its recommendations is essential if Canada is serious about advancing the right to adequate housing equally and for all.”

– Marie-Josée Houle, Federal Housing Advocate

“Housing insecurity and gender inequality are deeply intertwined. When women and gender-diverse people face unequal pay, insecure work, and systemic discrimination, they are at far greater risk of homelessness and housing precarity. The Neha recommendations underscore the need for coordinated, rights-based solutions that address income inequality and housing together, rather than in isolation.”

– Charlotte-Anne Malischewski, Chief Commissioner

Recommendations

The Federal Housing Advocate and the Chief Commissioner echo Neha’s recommendations, and urge the government of Canada to:

Transform Canada’s colonial housing system, including by upholding and expanding commitments to distinctions-based and urban, rural, and Northern Indigenous housing strategies
Provide funding through Build Canada Homes for community-led organizations to create housing and supports that respond to unique and diverse needs – including Indigenous women and women with disabilities who face a shortage of culturally appropriate and accessible housing. This funding commitment must be backed by human-rights-based, outcome-focused targets supported by GBA Plus analysis
Provide inclusive emergency and transitional supports for women and gender-diverse people facing violence and homelessness, including through the renewal and expansion of Reaching Home and the National Action Plan on Gender-Based Violence
Address the gendered and racialized income inequities that underpin housing insecurity and homelessness for women, Two Spirit, Trans, and gender-diverse people
Establish human rights-based standards across jurisdictions as the foundation for the renewed National Housing Strategy
Work with provinces and territories to address the systemic factors that continue to fuel homelessness, including by redirecting resources from institutional and correctional systems into permanent, adequate housing and supports

Background

Neha was launched following human rights claims submitted to the Federal Housing Advocate by the Women’s National Housing and Homelessness Network and the National Indigenous Women’s Housing Network. Those claims made clear that homelessness and inadequate housing are not accidental or inevitable—but the result of long-standing policy choices that have failed to account for gendered, racialized, and colonial realities. In requesting this review panel, the Advocate sought to ensure that these systemic failures were examined through a human rights lens, with meaningful participation from those most directly affected.
The Advocate’s request, and her representations to the review panel, were informed by extensive engagement she conducted with the networks and other civil society partners, as well as by submissions she received on gendered impacts of homelessness and inadequate housing.
The Pay Equity Commissioner also provided a submission to Neha, which highlighted the links between housing insecurity, gender inequality, income insecurity, and systemic discrimination, and underscored the importance of coordinated, rights-based policies.
The National Housing Strategy Act requires the Minister to respond to a review panel report within 120 days of receiving it, and to table the response in Parliament within 30 days after that.
The Minister’s response to the final report and recommendations of the Neha review panel was tabled in Parliament April 17 and is published on the National Housing Council website.