Ottawa’s Anti-Racism Strategy
Ottawa, Ontario
2024, Ongoing
Ottawa, Ontario
2024, Ongoing
We are encouraged by the City of Ottawa’s recommendations on anti-racist housing. However, we believe that the city’s anti-racism strategy must go further. CP Planning and the Action Lab will be creating a response document that builds off the work that is being done by the Anti-Racism Secretariat to put forward an expanded grassroots vision of racial justice in the City of Ottawa. From our view, the report needs to explicitly address barriers to access, whether by specifically highlighting barriers or by the inclusion of research which specifically pinpoints the barriers. Our response focuses on Housing, while recognizing that the 7 priority areas are inextricable from one another. We apply 3 lenses to our analysis of housing recommendations in the city’s Anti-Racism Strategy: the Intersectional Lens, the Barrier lens, and the action lens.
Intersectional Lens: To comprehensively tackle racism in housing, we must consider how race intersects with various aspects of identity, such as citizenship, religion, class, gender, sexuality, language, culture, and disability. This approach helps identify specific barriers and informs actions that address the complex nature of housing discrimination.
Systemic Lens: Recognizing that racism in housing is deeply embedded within societal structures and policies, the systemic lens allows for a critical examination of root causes. This lens prompts the identification and dismantling of institutional and systemic barriers to create lasting solutions.
Action Lens: Moving beyond analysis, the action lens emphasizes tangible steps and interventions to address racism in housing. By focusing on actionable measures, this lens ensures that commitments translate into meaningful improvements in housing equity and inclusion.
Intersectional Lens: To comprehensively tackle racism in housing, we must consider how race intersects with various aspects of identity, such as citizenship, religion, class, gender, sexuality, language, culture, and disability. This approach helps identify specific barriers and informs actions that address the complex nature of housing discrimination.
Systemic Lens: Recognizing that racism in housing is deeply embedded within societal structures and policies, the systemic lens allows for a critical examination of root causes. This lens prompts the identification and dismantling of institutional and systemic barriers to create lasting solutions.
Action Lens: Moving beyond analysis, the action lens emphasizes tangible steps and interventions to address racism in housing. By focusing on actionable measures, this lens ensures that commitments translate into meaningful improvements in housing equity and inclusion.
