“The private homeowner and commercial mortgage-based model of housing provision has totally failed,” state 13 housing NGOs from across the world in an Open Letter directed at the UN agency Habitat. The housing NGOs are led by Habitat International Coalition (HIC). Housing is an issue across the globe, and groups from several countries, including: India, Ireland, Taiwan, and Egypt are rallying behind HIC. In Spain alone, almost half a million households have been evicted since 2008. The NGOs are therefore urging Habitat to “address urban speculation, the social function of land and alternatives to private property.”

Habitat is the UN agency that focuses on urban issues and sustainability. In the past, Habitat has recognized gender issues in cities, and fought for housing to be a human right, which Canada has endorsed. Increasingly, however, Habitat is endorsing market-based approaches, driven by financial institutions. The global Habitat III conference to be held in Quito, Ecuador, in October 2016 marks the 40th anniversary for the agency and is an opportunity to challenge Habitat’s current focus on market-based housing solutions.

Toronto Women’s City Alliance (TWCA) has joined to support this call. Housing prices in Canada, especially in Vancouver and Toronto, are no longer affordable, especially for women-led households. Effectively no new rental units are being built and many new condos are held for speculation while standing empty. We want to see “habitat for people, not for profit”.