Evictions in Canada: The Impact of Evictions on Security of Tenure and the Right to Housing

Having stable housing satisfies our most basic need for shelter. But our homes also act as the foundation of community. When I think of “home,” I think of my elderly neighbour, who shares her gardening tips and gives cookies to my kids and of the schoolyard that doubles as a dog park after hours. Our fundamental need for housing and community has been linked to better health outcomes and greater stability. Yet these benefits are disproportionately available to homeowners; far too many renters across Canada are not afforded basic stability due to our tenancy laws. Evictions are a growing threat that leaves people searching for affordable housing, pushed out of the neighbourhoods they once called home, and in some cases, living from a friend’s couch, or in a tent in the local encampment. Evictions are taken for granted as a necessary but unfortunate reality of being a renter in Canada, yet there is a growing body of research that points to the system-level factors that shape evictions. Fundamentally, the laws that govern landlord and tenant relationships determine the level and nature of evictions.

This book focuses on evictions in Canada, bringing much-needed data into the policy and legal conversation. The chapters draw on the important work from Balanced Supply of Housing (BSH) researchers and collaborators. The BSH is a partnership grant funded by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The foundation of our work is Canada’s National Housing Strategy Act, which binds the federal government to the progressive realization of the right to housing (National Housing Strategy Act, 2019). Funded between 2018-2027, the BSH is a collaborative network of academic researchers and community partners that conduct rigorous community-based research and data analysis to foster a just and equitable housing system through knowledge generation and mobilization. Our work focuses on Canada’s urban centers, including Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, where more than a third of Canadians reside. In more recent years, we have also expanded to examine at tenancy laws nationally, recognizing the important role they play in the security of tenure.