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Housing is a human right. This direct message was the opening salvo in a panel discussion on architecture and housing rights at the University of Toronto’s John H. Daniels School of Architecture, Landscape and Design. The discussion, held on 21 March as part of the Academy’s winter programme, brought together a group of architects, designers and students to hear and learn about what housing rights actually look like in practice, and the often undervalued role architects can play .
The panel was moderated by Daniels School Assistant Professor Karen Kubey, and speakers included Leilani Farha, global director of advocacy agency The Shift, and Paul Karakusevic, founding partner of Karakusevic Carson Architects, a British firm specializing in public buildings. . With support from the Irving Grossman Affordable Housing Fund, this discussion is part of a series of roundtables Kube is hosting across North America to continue advancing housing justice work. Kube addressed the audience at the start of the discussion, saying, “I hope that when you leave the room tonight, you will have a better understanding of what the right to housing really means, that you will feel energized, and that you will believe that the right to housing is just a little more , another world is possible.
The discussion began with a presentation by Leilani Farha. To better understand the housing crisis, Farha posed questions that highlighted international human rights law that supports the right to housing, and the importance of holding policymakers accountable for upholding these laws. As the former United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to housing, advocating for government accountability for housing has been a focus for Farha for many years and remains part of her mandate at The Shift.
“In my view, implementing the principles and central ideas of human rights law can successfully address the shortcomings of Canada’s housing system,” she asserted. “This means our housing system must produce outcomes that are consistent with human rights outcomes, not economic outcomes.” She also stressed the need for more thorough representation in the development of public housing, saying: “As designers, we There is a need to step back and play less of a guiding role and more of a facilitative role so that those most at risk have a voice.
Next, Karakusevic took the stage to give a speech, walking the audience through the design and financing processes behind several of his company’s successful public housing projects. Karakusevic Carson Architects, which now builds new social housing as well as refurbishing existing developments entirely within the public sector, has found that projects that incorporate as many housing types as possible and eliminate distinctions between different income levels deliver the healthiest outcomes.
Karakusevic also said that designs that prioritize residents’ spatial needs rely on specific funding structures. Because all their projects are public-led, they can take a long-term approach to financing, design and management, discouraging profit-driven decisions and instead supporting thoughtful consideration of liveability.
The thoughts shared across the panel suggest that Canada’s current approach to housing development is not well-suited to supporting the creation of quality public housing. Speakers claimed that if we hope to create truly affordable and liveable housing, we need to raise our voices more and demand more meaningful action from our politicians. The discussion ended with an optimistic view of Toronto’s future, suggesting that with forward-thinking leadership, the city might be able to restart the conversation about affordable housing and allow new ideas to lead to positive change.
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