Social Housing and Homelessness SWK 4422

David Hulchanski, Professor

Office: 246 Bloor St. West, Room 538, office tel. 416-978-1973

email: david.hulchanski@utoronto.ca www.hulchanski.ca @hulchanski

Class: Tuesday evenings, 6:00 to 9:30 p.m.

“The States Parties … recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living..., including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions.” – International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 1966.

"Lack of access to housing, a growing sense of insecurity over how we are to be housed, is lack of access to the freedom to feel secure; it constitutes a growing restriction on the right of the majority to be free to live a good and safe life." – Danny Dorling, All that is Solid: The Great Housing Disaster, 2014:1.

"Homelessness is “an odd-job word, pressed into service to impose order on a hodgepodge of social dislocation, extreme poverty, seasonal or itinerant work, and unconventional ways of life.” – Kim Hopper and Jim Baumohl, 1996:3.

About the Course

SWK4422 examines a broad range of social issues associated with Canada's housing system. The focus is on the social policy implications of the problems lower income households and specific groups within the population (based on gender, ‘race’ and/or socio-economic status) have in accessing affordable appropriate housing in good quality neighbourhoods. The gender, ‘race’ and ethnicity aspects of housing issues are a particular focus. A further theme throughout the course is Canada’s rental housing sector, which houses one third of Canada’s households (and half of the City of Toronto’s households).

This course also focuses on the growing number of people who are unhoused. People who are homeless require housing, some require support services (for physical or mental health problems, or addictions) and all require enough money to live on (jobs, job training, or social assistance). What do we mean by the term ‘homelessness’? What is the difference between the ‘old’ (pre-1980s) and the ‘new’ homelessness? Who is homeless, why, and for how long? What should be done about it? How do we prevent and eventually eliminate mass homelessness?

‘Housing’ includes concepts of home and community, as well physical shelter (the house) and its geographical location (the neighbourhood). A humane housing system must couple physical shelter with physical, social and psychological security. The home is at the hub of a whole complex of relationships and in many ways is the crucial medium through which society is structured. A household, the people living together in a dwelling, is a collectivity with its own social and political economy.

Responding to problems in Canada’s housing system and to homelessness requires action at each ‘level’ of the problem: the personal/individual/household level, the group level (aboriginal people, families, youth, etc); the community level (local initiatives, social agencies, community development approaches); and the macro societal level (policies and programs, all levels of government and major institutions, public and private).

Learning Objectives

The aim of the course is to provide a thorough understanding of the social implications of the operation of Canada's housing system, which aspects work well and which do not, what population groups have the greatest difficulty accessing appropriate housing, what the trends are, and what the range of possible solutions (policy and program options) might be. The course seeks to help students:

critically assess and gain an improved understanding of the theoretical and philosophical foundations of the scholarly and the political debate over the nature and causes of housing problems and homelessness in Canada today.
better understand the reasons underlying the different ways in which the problem and the potential solutions are defined, researched and debated.
gain a detailed knowledge of the methodological issues, debates and methods associated with research on housing and homelessness.
gain an improved understanding of the diversity of practical issues relating to housing and homelessness.

Educational Philosophy

This course supports the Faculty’s commitment to “prepare graduates for ethical, competent, innovative and effective, professional social work practice” (Mission Statement). It is conducted in manner in keeping with the University’s purpose of “fostering an academic community in which the learning and scholarship of every member may flourish, with vigilant protection for individual human rights, and a resolute commitment to the principles of equal opportunity, equity and justice.”

Within this overall philosophy students are encouraged to take initiative for their own professional development as life-long learners. Discussion is an important mode for sharing ideas, interrogating ones own analysis and building alternative frameworks. Principles of adult learning are supported: development of an educational climate that is conducive to openness and risk-taking, self-directed learning by taking initiative to identify one’s own learning needs, and by linking concepts presented in class to one’s own professional practice experiences.

The University of Toronto is committed to equity, human rights and respect for diversity. All members of the learning environment in this course should strive to create an atmosphere of mutual respect where all members of our community can express themselves, engage with each other, and respect one another’s differences. U of T does not condone discrimination or harassment against any persons or communities.

Each session covers a specific issue or aspect of a topic. Students are expected to come prepared (a critical reading of the assigned literature) and participate in the classroom discussions.

Learning Environment

This course will strive to create an environment that is inclusive and conducive to a positive learning experience.

This means that both instructors and students must take responsibility for the learning environment.

Positive learning involves gaining and sharing knowledge in a respectful manner just as will be necessary in the context of professional practice.

Accordingly, disrespectful behaviour, intimidation and discriminatory and exclusionary comments are unacceptable in the learning environment, just as they are unacceptable in a professional environment. This would include comments that are hurtful, inappropriate and contrary to our social work values, mission, Faculty and University policies and the Ontario Human Rights Code.

If there are any concerns about the learning environment, students are encouraged to express them to the instructor.

Name and Pronoun

Use in the Classroom Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student’s legal name. The instructor will gladly honor your request to address you by your preferred name or pronoun. Please advise your instructor of your request early in the term if possible.

FYI: COVID-19 & Housing and Homelessness

Ontario Human Rights Commission: Policy statement on a human rights-based approach to managing the COVID-19 pandemic, April 2020. PDF

"Recognize that human rights laws require mitigating potential impacts on rights that are interdependent with the rights to health and life, including the rights to food, housing, work, education, equality, privacy, access to information, freedom from cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and the freedoms of association, expression, assembly and movement. …
"Take extra steps and provide funding to protect Indigenous peoples’ health and human rights, including providing funding for: Adequate housing…”
The OHRC refers to “vulnerable groups” to include: "People experiencing poverty, living in shelters, who are street-involved or at risk of homelessness”