SAMPLE LETTER
Dear Mayor __________________:
I am writing to request that you consider placing a motion before Council to support in principle Bill C-304, An Act to ensure secure, adequate, accessible and affordable housing for Canadians which will soon be debated in our federal Parliament at the third and final reading stage.
Over 60 major organizations have already indicated their support for Bill C-304 including the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the municipalities of Calgary, Toronto, Victoria, Sudbury and Vancouver.
If passed, Bill C-304 will make a significant difference in our community and across Canada. Why? Because, for the first time, Canada will have legislation requiring the Minister responsible for housing, provincial/territorial counterparts and representatives from civil society, municipalities and Aboriginal communities to design a national housing strategy to end homelessness and to ensure the accessibility of adequate housing for those most in need.
I am sure you are aware that despite the relative wealth within Canada, homelessness in our community is a persistent problem and a costly one at that. Studies indicate that Canadians are spending roughly $4.5 – $6 billion a year to deal with homelessness through a variety of necessary services: temporary shelters, hospital wards, welfare offices, social services, the criminal justice system and mental health institutions.
Bill C-304 is directly connected to commitments our federal Government has recently made. In June 2009, upon recommendation from the UN Human Rights Council and the Universal Periodic Review of Canada, the government committed to “intensify the efforts already undertaken to better ensure the right to adequate housing, especially for vulnerable groups and low income families.” And more recently, the government ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which includes a commitment to ensuring the right to adequate housing for persons with disabilities.
I encourage you and your Council colleagues to read the Bill in light of the needs of many citizens in our community and demonstrate your serious commitment to this issue by having Council formally support the Bill by way of a motion passed by Council.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with me if you require any further information on Bill C-304 and the important objectives it sets out to achieve.
Sincerely,
(Your name)
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