The McGill Institute for Health and Social Policy is looking for a research assistant for the development of a policy brief for the Gender Working Group of the Quebec Homelessness Prevention Policy Collaborative (Q-HPPC). The brief will involve a comparative analysis of selected jurisdictions that have a right to adequate housing in their constitutions, in legislation, and/or comprehensive policy frameworks. Canada has largely failed to address the right to adequate housing, despite several decades of policy and program initiatives, especially for vulnerable groups. Because of their vulnerable status, women who are fleeing domestic/conjugal violence and intimate partner violence, either alone, or with their children, are designated priority groups under Canada‘s national housing strategy and there is now right-to-housing legislation at the federal level. There is no comparable protection under Quebec law.

The selected student will assist the Working Group PCO-Chairs, Pearl Eliadis, Associate Professor (professional) in the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University and Melpa Kamateros (Executive Director of the Shield of Athena Family Services) to identify appropriate jurisdictions and describe their legal frameworks, including relevant caselaw, to assess the incorporation of the right to adequate housing in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights into domestic policy frameworks. The student will review the online literature on ECOSOC rights, review relevant constitutional provisions and identify key caselaw that is relevant to establishing a broad policy framework that establishes a right to adequate housing.

The student will be supervised by Prof. Eliadis and Ms Kamateros, receiving regular feedback and support. Bi-weekly in person meetings are being set up for periodic check-ins.