Week in Review: February 13, 2026

Here’s a roundup of housing news and issues that we noticed this week:

Summary of events we attended

• Same Shelter, Unequal Outcomes: Why Black Guests Still Face Barriers to Housing (January 30)

  • This was a very insightful talk that informed our general meeting presentation this month! Watch the session recording here

• Indigenous Women’s and Housing Rights 

  • Nadine participated in advocacy support for two women experiencing housing, Women’s and Indigenous issues. A panel of 3 plus the 2 from Four Winds helped the women in navigating resources to improve their situations. We talked about housing needs for a single mom of 4 along with emotional wrap around supports as an Indigenous woman. We talked with the other woman who was her mother with tenant supports and resources. Overall I think everyone got something out of the collaboration. 

From ECOHH’s social media

• A recent article about the SAFER program highlights how many seniors in BC are feeling the pressure of rising rent, making it hard to remain in the homes and communities they love.

  • SAFER is designed to ease that burden, providing rent assistance to seniors with low or moderate incomes so they can stay in their homes.

  • Learn more at www.bchousing.org/SAFER

• The February ECOHH general meeting featured three brief presentations on issues related to housing security connected with Black History Month. More information here.

• The Alberta Law Reform Institute (ALRI) has published its second report on Alberta's Residential Tenancies Act.

• Residential Tenancies Act: Before and During a Tenancy, Issues Paper 7 is the second report in a series summarizing issues under Alberta’s Residential Tenancies Act. This report focuses on issues arising at the beginning of or during a tenancy including:

  • Selecting tenants or deciding to rent 

  • Creating residential tenancy agreements 

  • Security deposits and inspections 

  • Rent and other payments 

  • Utilities 

  • Fees and penalties 

  • Behaviour and rules 

  • Maintenance, repairs, and damage 

  • Forms and notices 

  • This report does not make any recommendations for reform. Rather, the series is an inventory of issues that will lay the groundwork for upcoming recommendations that focus on specific areas of the law such as ALRI's upcoming report on "Distress for Rent". The report also highlights issues that could be addressed by government departments or other organizations who are better suited to improve the law.

• Free on-line training in data collection

• A perspective on small-scale infill development in housing

Relevant housing news 

• Build Canada Homes: The shift to prefabricated housing is more complex than it seems

• Housing advocates on both sides unhappy with proposed infill changes

• MLAs say seniors’ heating subsidy doesn’t provide enough support

• Homeless advocates concerned GTA respite centre is closing early for World Cup despite tough winter

• ‘We’ll see larger numbers of deaths, injuries’: Frontline homelessness advocates warn of dire consequences if funding is altered

• Thunder Bay advocates push for emergency declaration over homelessness

• More tenants complained of being pushed out of their units in years with N.B. rent cap

• Quebec to launch portal to help those waiting for subsidized housing find homes

• Why Canada isn’t building 3D-printed homes

• As housing prices rise.... are starter homes still a thing?

• Red Deer permanent shelter proposal sparks anger over location

• Quebec housing tribunal recommends a 3.1% basic rent increase

• CMHC warns full repeal of blanket rezoning could put Calgary's federal housing funding at risk

• Officials in Chatham Kent are looking for a way to deal with "Renovictions."

• Housing market faces possible recession in 2026 amid ‘subdued’ demand: CMHC

• One-stop shop: Quebec wants to make it easier to rent affordable or low-cost housing

• Local movie highlights invisible homelessness

• Adapting London’s homelessness response

As always, we recommend checking out these sources for additional information on housing and homelessness

• Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH) 

• Canadian Centre for Housing Rights

• Canadian Housing & Renewal Association (CHRA) 

• Federal Housing Advocate

• Homeless Hub (Canadian Observatory on Homelessness) 

• Homeward Trust 

• Housing Complex  

• Make the Shift   

• National Right to Housing Network (NRHN)  

• Social Housing & Human Rights (SHHR) 

• Women’s National Housing and Homelessness Network