The right to housing and well-being: social connectedness as a means to develop quality, publicly-funded housing for the sandwich class

Abstract

Nationally and internationally, legislation defines housing as a human right to ensure dignity and well- being. However, with increasing costs of housing in Canada, it is instead treated as a speculative commodity. In cities like Vancouver, this means the sandwich class (too wealthy for social assistance but too impoverished for market housing) has no decent option. A new model (Income Accessible Housing) is thus proposed in order to decommodify housing and promote health and well-being so new multi-residential buildings do not repeat the errors of 20th century mass production of cheap residential units. More specifically, the focus is on social connectedness, which is paramount to social and mental health, but is too often overlooked. This model involves government investment and non-profit cooperatives to develop quality publicly-funded housing for the sandwich class, increasing the availability of housing and incorporating the attributes of ‘good’ housing to foster a healthy and desirable living environment.