This column is an opinion from Charlotte Dalwood, a juris doctor student at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Law. For more information about CBC’s Opinion section, please see the FAQ.

Canada already has universal public health care. As the country moves into its new post-pandemic normal, it should implement universal public housing, too.

Only a minority of Canadian households own their homes outright. Most have to make monthly payments to banks or landlords, which facilitate the public’s access to housing through mortgages and rental agreements in order to turn a profit for themselves.

This means the average Canadian’s housing is only as