Accessing adequate housing for older Black women in Toronto: a document review of housing related government strategies and action plans

Abstract

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights include recommendations and protections for housing as a human right. The rising costs of housing has created difficulties for many individuals, particularly older adults/seniors. This study aimed to determine whether Ontario housing related policies and strategy documents address access to adequate housing for older racialised women, specifically older Black women. The theory of intersectionality and the stages model were used as analytical frameworks to review provincial and municipal government documents in Ontario, Canada to determine the degree to which they address adequate housing for older Black women. A thematic content analysis was completed for eight policy documents that were both municipal and provincial. The results suggest that access to adequate housing was not considered to the full scope and housing policies do not reflect the complex social reality of racialised older women. Addressing the housing challenges for older racialised women would require an increased focus on policies that are all encompassing.