Webinar | Putting the Right to Housing into Practice: Legal Responses to a Crisis

Dr. Alexandra Flynn, Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Professional Programs
Peter A. Allard School of Law – University of British Columbia

Dr. Alexandra Flynn is Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Professional Programs at the University of British Columbia’s Allard School of Law. Professor Flynn’s current focus is on housing and homelessness, and the meaning of the ‘right to housing’. 

Her forthcoming book, The Bylaw State: Encampment Evictions and the Struggle for Public Space, co-authored with Professor Joe Hermer (Toronto) explains the role of bylaws in regulating homelessness, contrary to human rights standards enshrined in Canadian law.

Marie-Josée Houle, Canada’s first Federal Housing Advocate

Marie-Josée Houle is Canada’s first Federal Housing Advocate. She was first appointed to the role in February 2022, and was re-appointed for a three-year term on February 21, 2025. She brings with her deep knowledge, expertise, and passion from a long-standing career in the affordable housing and homelessness sector. 

As Federal Housing Advocate, Ms. Houle is using her mandate to spotlight key issues of national concern and provide evidence-based recommendations to address the housing and homelessness crisis. Ms. Houle is dedicated to working directly with rights holders, civil society, and decision-makers to arrive at human rights-based solutions. Her work creates space for marginalized voices to be heard and amplified. 

In particular, Ms. Houle remains one of the country’s top voices advocating for the human rights of encampment residents. Her work has exposed the serious underfunding and lack of safe housing infrastructure for Métis communities in Saskatchewan and Inuit in Nunavut and Nunatsiavut. She has also successfully led advocacy campaigns with decision-makers to advance her recommendations and drive change on these systemic issues. She has referred three major systemic housing issues to the National Housing Council for formal review. 

Ms. Houle’s previous experience includes frontline and educational work in housing co-ops, project management for non-market housing development, housing-related research projects, and advocating for tenant rights at all levels of government. Her previous titles include Executive Director for Action-Logement, Executive Director for Unity Housing Ottawa, and co-chair of the City of Ottawa’s Housing Loss Prevention Committee. She has held advisory roles with several committees and built partnerships among diverse stakeholders. 

Born in Val D’Or, Québec, and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Ms. Houle holds a Master of Arts in Sociology and Social Anthropology from Dalhousie and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences from the University of Alberta. She is fluently bilingual in English and French, and is a devoted and celebrated musician. 

Laura Macintyre, Staff Lawyer
Pivot Legal Society

Laura is a Staff Lawyer at Pivot Legal Society, where she leads the Homes for All Campaign. Pivot’s Homes for All Campaign calls on all levels of government to treat housing as a fundamental human right, rather than as a privilege or a commodity; challenges laws, policies, and practices that discriminate against people who are unhoused and/or precariously housed; fights the criminalization of homelessness; and targets the intersection between housing justice and other forms of injustice.

Prior to joining Pivot, Laura worked as a lawyer in Toronto providing legal assistance and representation to women-identifying individuals who experienced intimate partner violence. She supported her clients as they navigated complex histories of violence alongside precarious immigration status, systemic housing discrimination, racism, and criminalization. Through this work, Laura developed an approach to lawyering that centers her clients’ resilience, autonomy, and self-determination in the face of interlocking systems of oppression.

Laura holds a Masters of Law (LLM) from Harvard Law School and is a member of both the Law Society of British Columbia and the Law Society of Ontario.  

Sarah Rowe, Legal Counsel
CIAJ

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.

Fees

Non-member students*