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#111 | Left Out in the Cold – Episode 2: Advancing the Right to Housing while Financialization Pulls the Strings

"Left Out in the Cold" Series – Nov 2025

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#111 | Left Out in the Cold – Episode 2: Advancing the Right to Housing while Financialization Pulls the Strings
Broadcast Date: November 6, 2025

 

EPISODE SUMMARY | SERIES OVERVIEW | BIOGRAPHIES | USEFUL LINKS

 

EPISODE SUMMARY

In 2019, the Canadian government recognized housing as a fundamental human right through the National Housing Strategy Act; however, in the years that have followed, housing affordability has only worsened for low- to moderate-income households. While this Act requires the federal government to address homelessness and core housing need, Canadian housing policies continue to benefit primarily those seeking profit and returns on investment.

In this second episode, host Sarah Rowe is joined by lawyer Michèle Biss, Executive Director of the National Right to Housing Network, and political economist Ricardo Tranjan, senior researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Together, they discuss the impact of financialization and the importance of implementing both social housing and rent controls to ensure that our housing system protects the most vulnerable.

 

Guest

  • Michèle Biss, Executive Director, National Right to Housing Network
  • Ricardo Tranjan, Ph.D., Senior Researcher, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

Host

  • Sarah Rowe, Legal Counsel, Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice (CIAJ)

 

SERIES OVERVIEW

Left Out in the Cold
A podcast series from CIAJ’s In All Fairness channel

Over the past several years, housing has emerged as a hot-button issue in Canadian discourse. How is affordability defined? Why are Indigenous peoples more likely to lack adequate housing? Is housing policy adequately addressing accessibility needs?

Left Out in the Cold aims to answer these and other questions over the course of this series. Hosted by Sarah Rowe, Legal Counsel at CIAJ, this series features conversations with legal and policy experts and community advocates on issues facing the Canadian housing sector. Each episode balances conversations about high-level legislative frameworks with the on-the-ground realities of everyday Canadians. Join us in these conversations as we try to root out the causes of housing insecurity in this country.

  • Episode 1 | Left Out in the Cold – Barriers to Adequate Housing and How Indigenous Housing Organizations are Filling the Gaps (Guests: Justin Marchand & Margaret Pfoh)
  • Episode 2 | Left Out in the Cold – Advancing the Right to Housing while Financialization Pulls the Strings (Guests: Michèle Biss & Ricardo Tranjan)

BIOGRAPHIES

 

Michèle Biss

Michèle Biss is the Executive Director of the National Right to Housing Network. As an expert in economic and social rights, she has presented at several United Nations treaty body reviews and at Canadian parliamentary committees. Prior to her work at the NRHN, Michèle was the Policy Director and Human Rights Lawyer at Canada Without Poverty. In 2016, she graduated from the Advanced Course on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights at Åbo Akademi University in Finland. She has extensive professional experience working for marginalized groups, particularly women, persons with disabilities, newcomers, and Indigenous persons through casework, research, and community legal education. In her local Ottawa community, she sits on the board of directors of Ottawa Community Legal Services. She is a human rights lawyer and was called to the Ontario bar in 2014.

 

Ricardo Tranjan

Ricardo Tranjan, Ph.D., is a senior researcher the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. His research focuses on the political economy of social policy, especially income supports, education funding, and rental housing. He is the author of two books: a scholarly analysis of Participatory Democracy in Brazil (2015), his native country, and the national bestseller The Tenant Class (2023). Previously, Ricardo managed the City of Toronto’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Office and briefly taught in universities in Ontario and Québec.  A frequent media commentator in English and French, he lives in Ottawa.

 

Sarah Rowe

Sarah is a graduate of University of Ottawa’s Common Law program, having previously obtained a Bachelor of Arts from Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. She articled at Legal Aid NL and is a member of the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador. Throughout law school, Sarah worked as a student intern at CIAJ. In her new position as legal counsel, Sarah is responsible for assisting with the development and management of CIAJ projects, including the research and analysis of legislation, court decisions, and government policies. In this role, she also engages with law students and law faculties to ensure relevancy and legal accuracy of CIAJ’s educational programs. In her free time, Sarah enjoys volunteering, playing guitar, and supporting local theatre.

 

USEFUL LINKS

 

In All Fairness is a Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice podcast channel welcoming representatives from the legal community and exploring how we can all contribute to improving the administration of justice in Canada. Legal professionals will benefit from informed discussions on key issues, essential knowledge and insights to strengthen their practice.

Visit the upcoming programs section of our website or the online library, or contact us if you want to learn more and expand your skills. Numerous programs are available, including customized training.

Questions and suggestions are always welcome. Please write to communications@ciaj-icaj.ca