Homelessness, human rights, litigation and law reform: a view from Canada

Australian Journal of Human Rights

Volumn 10, Issue 2, 2004, Pages 133-164

  Porter, Bruce ^a  

^a NONE   (Canada)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 84923398704     PISSN: 1323238X     EISSN: 2573573X     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/1323238X.2004.11910785     Document Type: Article

References (122)

1. Affidavit of Michael Ornstein (1996) in Masse v Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services, Application Record, volume II, tab 15, Court File No 590/95
2. Affidavit of Gerard Kennedy (1996) in Masse v Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services, Application Record, volume II, tab 14, Court File No 590/95
3. Testimony of Louise Gosselin (2002) in Gosselin v Québec (Attorney General) [2002] 4 SCR 429, Appellant's Record, Vol I, Supreme Court of Canada File No 27418
4. Ahmed v Shelter Corporation (Unreported, Ontario Human Rights Board of Inquiry, Mary Anne McKellar, Decision No 02–007, 2 May 2002)
5. Baker v Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) [1999] 2 SCR 817
6. CB v Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Ontario, as represented by the Minister of Community, Family and Children's Social Services (Unreported, Ontario Human Rights Commission, File No JWIS-5JUR3L, 17 March 2004) [On file with the author]
7. Calder v Attorney General of British Columbia [1973] 1 SCR 313
8. Commission des droits de la personne du Québec c Gauthier (1993) 19 CHRR D/312 (Que Trib)
9. Dartmouth/Halifax County Regional Housing Authority v Sparks (1993) 101 DLR (4th) 224
10. Delgamuukw v British Columbia [1997] 3 SCR 1010
11. Derrickson v Derrickson [1986] 1 SCR 285
12. Dumont v Canada [1990] 1 SCR 279
13. Eldridge v British Columbia (Attorney General) [1997] 3 SCR 624
14. Fernandes v Director of Social Services (Winnipeg Central) (1992) 93 DLR (4th) 402 (Man CA)
15. Finlay v Canada (Minister of Finance) [1986] 2 SCR 607
16. Finlay v Canada (Minister of Finance) [1993] 1 SCR 1080
17. Gosselin v Québec (Attorney General) [2002] 4 SCR 429
18. Gosselin v Québec (Procureur Général) [1992] RJQ 1647
19. Gosselin v Québec (Procureur Général) [1999] RJQ 1033
20. Irwin Toy [1989] 1 SCR 927
21. Kearney v Bramalea Ltd (1998) 34 CHRR D/l (Ontario Board of Inquiry)
22. Landreville v The Queen (1973) 41 DLR (3d) 574 (FCTD)
23. Lesiuk v Canada (Employment Insurance Commission) [2001] CUBD No 1 CUB 51142, rev'd 2003 FCA 3, leave to appeal to SCC sought and denied
24. Masse v Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services (1996) 134 DLR (4th) 20; leave to appeal to Ontario Court of Appeal denied (1996) 40 Admin LR 87N; leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada denied (1996) 39 CRC (2d) 375
25. Montana Indian Band et al v Canada (1991) 120 NR 200 (FCA)
26. R v Ewanchuk [1999] 1 SCR 330
27. R v Advance Cutting and Coring Limited [2001] 3 SCR 209
28. Reference re Amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act (NS) [1996] 1 SCR 186
29. Reference re Secession of Québec [1998] 2 SCR 217
30. Shelter Corporation v Ontario Human Rights Commission (2001) 143 OAC 54
31. Sinclair and New by v Morris A Hunter Investments Limited (Unreported, Ontario Human Rights Board of Inquiry, Mary Anne McKellar, Decision No 01- 024, 5 November 2001)
32. Slaight Communications Inc v Davidson [1989] 1 SCR 1038
33. Vriend v Alberta [1998] 1 SCR 493
34. Whittom v Québec (Comm des droits de la personne) (1997) 29 CHRR D/l (Que CA)
35. Winterhaven Stables Ltd v Canada (Attorney General) (1988) 53 DLR (4th) 413 (Alta CA)
36. Budget Implementation Act, 1995, 1995, c 17
37. Canada Assistance Plan Act, RSC 1985, c C-1
38. Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Part I of the Constitution Act, being Schedule B to the Canada Act 1982 (UK) c 11
39. Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, RSQ 1975, c C-12
40. Constitution Act 1982, being Schedule B to the Canada Act 1982 (UK), 1982, c 11
41. Human Rights Code, RSO 1990, c H19
42. Indian Act, RS 1985, c 1–5
43. Landlord and Tenant Act, RSO 1970, c L7 (Ontario)
44. Law to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion, LQ 2002, c 61 (Québec)
45. Residential Tenancies Act, RSA 1980, c R-15.3
46. Residential Tenancies Act, SNS 1970, c 13
47. Tenant Protection Act, S O 1997, c 24
48. Government of the Republic of South Africa v Grootboom (2001) 1 South African Law Reports 46 (CC)
49. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1993a) Concluding Observations of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Canada UN Doc E/C 12/1993/5(10 June 1993)
50. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1993b) Summary Record of the Fifth Meeting UN Doc E/C.12/1993/SR.5 (25 May 1993)
51. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1997) General Comment No 7: The Right to Adequate Housing (art 11.1): Forced Evictions UN Doc E/1998/22, annex IV (20 May 1997)
52. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1998a) Concluding Observations of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Canada UN Doc E/C.12/1/Add.31 (10 December 1998)
53. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1998b) General Comment No 9: The Domestic Application of the Covenant UN Doc E/C 12/1998/24 (3 December 1998)
54. Convention on the Rights of the Child, September 2, 1990, UN Doc A/44/49 (1989)
55. Human Rights Committee (1999) Concluding Observations of the Human Rights Committee: Canada UN Doc CCPR/C/79/Add.105 (7 April 1999)
56. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, March 23, 1976, 999 UNTS 171
57. International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, January 3, 1976, 993 UNTS 3
58. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (1998) Core Document Forming Part of the Reports of States Parties: Canada UN Doc HRI/CORE/1/Add 91 (12 January 1998)
59. United Nations Commission on Human Rights (1998) Draft Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Report of the Secretary-General: Addendum UN Doc E/CN.4/1998/84/Add.1 (16 March 1998)
60. United Nations Commission on Human Rights (2001) Women's Equal Ownership of, Access to and Control over Land and the Equal Rights to Own Property and to Adequate Housing Resolution 2001/34, UN Doc No E/CN.4/RES/2001/34 (20 April 2001)
61. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, GA Res 217A (III), UN Doc A/810 (1948)
62. Advocacy Centre for Tenants in Ontario Challenges to Inadequacy of Ontario Works Shelter Allowance [Online] Available: www.acto.ca/english/acto_content.php?topic=2&sub=34 [2004, August 11]
63. Bakan J, and Schneiderman D, (eds) (1992) Social Justice and the Constitution: Perspectives on a Social Union for Canada Carleton University Press, Ottawa
64. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (1997) Core Housing Need Among Off-Reserve Aboriginal Lone Parents in Canada [Online] Available: [2004, August 10]
65. Canadian Human Rights Act Review Panel (2000) Report of the Canadian Human Rights Act Review Panel Department of Justice, Ottawa
66. Canadian Human Rights Commission (1998) Annual Report 1997 Canadian Human Rights Commission, Ottawa
67. Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (2001) CERA Annual Report 2001 [Online] Available: [2004, August 11]
68. Chau S, Fitzpatrick A, Hulchanski J D, Leslie B, and Schatia D, (2001) One in Five… Housing as a Factor in the Admission of Children to Care Centre for Urban and Community Studies, Toronto
69. City of Toronto (2003) Toronto Report Card on Housing and Homelessness 2003 [Online] Available: [2004, August 10]
70. City of Toronto Planning Board (1997) Report on Skid Row
71. Coon Come M, (2001) ‘No apologies: structural racism, ‘white mobs”, and the pushing of indigenous peoples in Canada to the edge of social, political and cultural extinction’ (Speech presented to the Canadian Bar Association, 1 October 2001, Ontario)
72. Craven M, (1994) ‘Towards an unofficial petition procedure: a review on the role of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights’ in K, Drzewicki, C, Krause and A, Rosas (eds) Social Rights as Human Rights: A European Challenge Martinus Nijhoff, London
73. Day S, (2000) Toward Women's Equality: Canada's Failed Commitment Feminist Alliance for International Action [Online] Available: [2004, August 11]
74. Day S, and Brodsky G, (1998) Women and the Equality Deficit: The Impact of Restructuring Canada's Social Programs Status of Women Canada, Ottawa
75. Ecumenical Coalition on Social Justice Structural Adjustment in Canada [Online] Available: [2004, August 10]
76. Farha L, (2004) Indigenous Peoples’ Right to Adequate Housing: A Global Overview United Nations Centre for Human Settlements, New York
77. Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers Responsible for Social Services (1998) NCB Governance and Accountability Framework [Online] Available: [2004, August 11]
78. A Framework to Improve the Social Union for Canadians: An Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Governments of the Provinces and Territories (1999) [Online] Available: [2004, August 14]
79. Gray K, and Klotz H, (1999) ‘Homeless pregnant woman died of exposure’ The Ottawa Citizen 1 March
80. Government of Canada (1998) Responses to the Supplementary Questions to Canada's Third Report on the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights HR/CESCR/NONE/98/8
81. Government of Ontario, Executive Council (2003) Order in Council 1662/2003 [Online] Available: [2004, August 10]
82. House of Commons Debates (1998) Vol 161 (27 November 1998)
83. Hulchanski J D, (1996) ‘Canada's Role at the UN Habitat II Conference in Istanbul: Politics, Market and Housing Rights’ Canadian Housing Magazine [Online] Available: [2004, August 11]
84. Hurtig M, (1999) Pay the Rent or Feed the Kids: The Tragedy and Disgrace of Poverty in Canada McClelland and Stewart, Toronto
85. Jackman M, (1995) ‘Women and the Canada health and social transfer: ensuring gender equality in federal welfare reform’ 8 Canadian Journal of Women and the Law pp 371–410
86. Jackman M, and Porter B, (1999) ‘Women's substantive equality and the protection of social and economic rights under the Canadian Human Rights Act’ in Status of Women Canada Women and the Canadian Human Rights Act: A Collection of Policy Research Reports Status of Women Canada, Ottawa [Online] Available: [2004, August 10]
87. Jackson A, (2004) Home Truths: Why the Housing System Matters to All Canadians Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Ottawa
88. Lamont D, (1993) Residential Tenancies (5th ed) Carswell, Toronto
89. Lamoureux A, (2002) President's Message Canadian Coalition of Provincial Cottagers’ Associations, Saskatoon
90. Lawrence A F, MPP, Legislature of Ontario, 2nd session of the 28th Legislature (1969) Official Records (Hansard)
91. Lawton V, (1998) ‘UN condemns Canadian poverty’ Toronto Star 5 December pp A5
92. Macafee M, (2001) ‘Seven people arrested as Montreal police evict about 30 squatters’ Canadian Press, Montreal
93. Makin K, (2002) ‘Indigent optimistic despite loss at top court’ The Globe and Mail 20 December pp A13
94. Martin P, and Fontana J, (1990) Report of the National Liberal Caucus Task Force on Housing National Liberal Caucus, Parliament of Canada
95. McKay W, Piper T, and Kim N, (1999) Social Condition as a Prohibited Ground of Discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act (Submission to the Canadian Human Rights Act Review Panel December) [Online] Available: [2004, August 10]
96. Ministry of Social Development and Economic Security (British Columbia) (2001) Homelessness — Causes and Effects: A Profile, Policy Review and Analysis of Homelessness in British Columbia [Online] Available: [2004, August 28]
97. Nader A, (1996) ‘Providing essential services: Canada's constitutional commitment under Section 36’ 19 Dalhousie Law Journal pp 306–72
98. National Council on Welfare (1998) Child Benefits: Kids Are Still Hungry National Council on Welfare, Ottawa [Online] Available: [2004, August 10]
99. National Council on Welfare (2003) Income for Living? National Council on Welfare, Ottawa [Online] Available: [2004, August 10]
100. Olds K, (1998) ‘Canada: hallmark events: evictions and housing rights’ in A, Azuela, E, Duhau, and E, Ortiz (eds) Evictions and the Right to Housing: Experience from Canada, Chile, the Dominican Republic, South Africa, and South Korea IDRC, Ottawa [Online] Available: [2004, August 11]
101. Ontario Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs (1991) A Canadian Social Charter: Making Our Shared Values Stronger: A Discussion Paper Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs, Toronto
102. Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal (2001) Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal Workload Reports
103. Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal (2000) Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal Records Secured from the Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal by the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation
104. Orchard L, Penfold R, and Sage D, (2003) Hunger Count 2003: A Surplus of Hunger Canadian Association of Food Banks, Toronto [Online] Available: [2004, August 11]
105. Porter B, (1998) ‘Social rights and the question of a social Charter’ in P, Leduc Browne (ed) Finding Our Collective Voice, Options for a New Social Union Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Ottawa pp 45–62
106. Porter B, (2000) ‘Judging poverty: using international human rights law to refine the scope of Charter rights’ 15 Journal of Law and Social Policy pp 117–62
107. Porter B, (2001) ‘Rewriting the Charter at 20 or reading it right: the challenge of poverty and homelessness in Canada’ (speech presented at the Canadian Bar Association Conference ‘The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom: twenty years later’ April 2001, Ottawa)
108. Porter B, (2003) ‘The right to adequate housing in Canada’ in S, Leckie (ed) National Perspectives on Housing Rights Kluwer/Nijhoff, New York pp 107–39
109. Porter B, (2005) (forthcoming) ‘Claiming adjudicative space: social rights, equality and citizenship’ in S, Boyd, G, Brodsky, S, Day and M, Young (eds) Poverty: Rights, Social Citizenship, and Governance University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver
110. Pothier D, (1996) ‘The sounds of silence: Charter application when the legislature declines to speak’ 7:4 Constitutional Forum pp 113–9
111. Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (1996) Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples Indian and Northern Affairs, Canada, Ottawa
112. Sen A, (1988) ‘Property and hunger’ 4 Economics and Philosophy 57–68, reprinted in L, Cragg and C, Koggel (eds) (2004) Contemporary Moral Issues McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd, Toronto pp 402–8
113. Scott C, (1995) ‘Covenant constitutionalism and the Canada Assistance Plan’ 6 Constitutional Forum 79–87
114. Scott C, (1999) ‘Canada's international human rights obligations and disadvantaged members of society: finally into the spotlight?’ 10 Constitutional Forum pp 97–111
115. Speirs R, (1993) ‘UN report on poverty levels is flawed, Tories say’ Toronto Star 1 June pp A12
116. Special Joint Committee of the Senate and the House of Commons on the Constitution of Canada (1981) Minutes of Proceedings and Evidence, First Session of the 32nd Parliament, Issue No 49
117. Statistics Canada (1996) Occupied private dwellings by tenure and number of rooms, showing structural type of dwelling, for Canada’ [Online] Available: [2004, August 10]
118. Statistics Canada (2000) Women in Canada 2000: A Gender-Based Statistical Report Supply and Services Canada, Ottawa
119. Toronto Campaign 2000 (2001) Report Card on Child Poverty in Toronto [Online] Available: [2004, August 10]
120. Toronto Disaster Relief Committee (1999) Death on the Streets of Canada: A Report Submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Committee Regarding Compliance with Article 6 of the ICCPR by Canada [Online] Available: [2004, August 10]
121. United Nations Development Program (2004) Human Development Report 2004 Human Development Index [Online] Available: [2004, August 10]
122. York G, (1993) ‘UN body chastises Canada on poverty’ The Globe and Mail 29 May pp A1