The Women’s National Housing and Homelessness Network calls on Canada to address housing inequities for women and gender-diverse people with disabilities through recent United Nations submission
The Women’s National Housing & Homelessness Network (WNHHN) has made a critical submission to the 32nd session of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The submission, Gender, the Human Right to Housing, and Disability Rights in Canada, highlights the systemic barriers that women and gender-diverse people with disabilities face in securing safe, affordable, and accessible housing.
While Canada ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2010, our housing system continues to fall short of its obligations under Articles 6 and 9 of the convention. Gender inequities, ableist policies, and affordability crises disproportionately impact women and gender-diverse people with disabilities, making them more vulnerable to homelessness and housing insecurity. Our submission urges the UN to hold Canada accountable and calls for urgent policy changes to address these injustices. Read the submission here.
The Intersection of Gender, Disability, and Housing Insecurity
Women and gender-diverse people with disabilities are among the most marginalized groups when it comes to housing access. Research shows that women with disabilities are twice as likely to experience homelessness compared to women without disabilities. A staggering 46% of all Canadian women who have experienced homelessness have a disability. These statistics illustrate the alarming reality that disability and gender intersect to create significant vulnerabilities in Canada’s housing system.
One of the most underreported aspects of this crisis is hidden homelessness, which includes living in precarious housing situations, couch-surfing, or staying in unsafe environments to avoid being on the streets. Statistics Canada reports that 13% of Canadians with disabilities have experienced hidden homelessness, more than double the rate of those without disabilities. Those with mental health or learning disabilities are at even greater risk.
The WNHHN’s Pan-Canadian research on women’s housing found that 79% of women who reported housing insecurity or homelessness also reported having a disability. Nearly half of them (46.4%) had a psychiatric or mental health-related disability. These figures reveal the depth of the crisis and the urgent need for disability-inclusive housing solutions.
Barriers to Accessible Housing
Despite Canada’s commitments to disability rights, accessible housing remains scarce and unaffordable. People with disabilities, particularly women and gender-diverse individuals, struggle to find homes that meet their accessibility needs. Even when they secure housing, they often face landlord discrimination, prohibitions on modifications, and inadequate government supports.
- A 2017 study found that 40% of Canadian households with at least one person with a disability reported their homes were not fully accessible.
- Women and gender-diverse people with physical disabilities reported difficulty finding suitable housing 16 times more frequently than those without disabilities.
- Housing affordability remains a critical barrier, with over 30% of people with disabilities reporting that their income is insufficient to access adequate housing.
Women and gender-diverse people with disabilities also experience higher rates of eviction and housing loss. Research shows that individuals with multiple disabilities are more likely to face affordability challenges, making them more susceptible to eviction and long-term homelessness.
Shelters: Inaccessible and Overburdened
Shelters, often the last safety net for those experiencing homelessness, remain shockingly inaccessible for people with disabilities.
- 65.1% of people with physical disabilities reported being unable to access shelters, compared to 43.1% of those with mental health disabilities.
- A study by DAWN Canada found that only 75% of homeless shelters have a wheelchair-accessible entrance, while only 5% offer Braille reading materials.
These failures place women and gender-diverse people with disabilities at heightened risk. Shelters that lack accessibility features force individuals to choose between unsafe housing arrangements and homelessness—both of which increase their vulnerability to violence and exploitation.
Violence, Abuse, and Social Isolation
Women and gender-diverse individuals with disabilities are also at a heightened risk of violence and abuse. Research has shown that:
- 53% of people with disabilities who have experienced homelessness report that violence was a contributing factor to their housing loss.
- Women with disabilities face higher rates of intimate partner violence, often exacerbated by social isolation and financial dependence on abusive partners.
Without access to safe, accessible housing, many women remain trapped in cycles of abuse. Housing insecurity forces individuals to stay in unsafe environments or rely on precarious, dangerous arrangements for survival.
Legal and Policy Gaps
Despite Canada’s ratification of the CRPD, implementation remains fragmented across provincial and municipal levels. While initiatives like the Accessible Canada Act have been introduced, enforcement is inconsistent, and many policies fail to account for the unique challenges faced by women and gender-diverse people with disabilities.
Our submission calls attention to these legal gaps and highlights the need for stronger enforcement of accessibility laws, targeted policy interventions, and direct financial support for people with disabilities.
Recommendations for Change
To address these critical issues, the WNHHN urges the Canadian government to take immediate action, including:
1. Increase the Canada Disability Benefit to ensure recipients can afford adequate housing and maintain a dignified quality of life.
2. Mandate universal design principles in the National Building Code to require all new multi-unit residential buildings to meet accessibility standards.
3. Retrofit existing shelters and housing stock to meet accessibility standards, addressing physical, sensory, and cognitive needs.
4. Increase specialized housing services through investments in supportive housing and wraparound services.
5. Develop and fund training for shelter and housing staff to better understand and support individuals with disabilities.
6. Include women and gender-diverse individuals with lived experience in the design, implementation, and evaluation of housing policies and programs.
7. Expand funding for accessible housing options tailored to the needs of people with disabilities.
8. Monitor and evaluate the impact of accessibility and affordability policies to ensure ongoing responsiveness to community needs.
9. Collect disaggregated data to track how housing policies affect women and gender-diverse people with disabilities and adjust interventions accordingly.
Holding Canada Accountable
The WNHHN’s submission to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is a call to action. Women and gender-diverse people with disabilities cannot continue to be ignored in Canada’s housing policies. The federal government must take decisive action to uphold its human rights obligations and create a housing system that is truly inclusive and equitable.
By making this submission, we are amplifying the voices of those most affected by the housing crisis. We urge policymakers, advocates, and community leaders to join us in demanding systemic change.
Housing is a human right. It is time for Canada to act.