This is the second post in our series, Blueprints for Gender Housing Justice.

What if your story could help change the system? What if the challenges you’ve faced in securing safe and stable housing could shape policies to ensure others don’t experience the same hardships? 

At the heart of meaningful policy change is lived experience. Sharing your story matters. It can shine a light on gaps in housing systems, expose the impact of inequitable policies, and push decision-makers to create more inclusive, equitable solutions. But knowing how to tell your story effectively for advocacy can be challenging. That’s where the Storytelling for Advocacy template from our toolkit comes in. 

Why Your Story Matters

When people in power make decisions about housing policies, they often rely on data, reports, and consultations that fail to capture the human side of the housing crisis. Lived experience stories bring the human impact of policy failures to the forefront. They highlight how systemic barriers affect real people and reveal the ways housing policies fall short of addressing the needs of marginalized groups—particularly women, Indigenous people, and gender-diverse individuals. 

Your story has the power to: 

• Influence public perceptions about homelessness and housing inequity. 
• Bring urgency and authenticity to policy discussions. 
• Empower others to share their experiences, creating a ripple effect for change. 

The written testimony being collected by the Neha Review Panel will turn into recommendations sent to Canada’s Housing Minister. He is then compelled, by law, to respond within 120 days in the House of Commons and Senate—meaning, the recommendations made can turn into policy based on the efforts of those who submit share how the system has failed their right to housing. 

The Storytelling for Advocacy Template: A Guide to Structuring Your Testimony

Our Mobilizing on the Right to Housing toolkit includes a practical, step-by-step guide to help you share your story for advocacy purposes. The Storytelling for Advocacy template is designed to: 

• Help you reflect on your experiences in a way that highlights key policy gaps and systemic barriers. 
• Provide a structure for your testimony, making it easier to share your story in meetings, consultations, or submissions to panels. 
• Support you in connecting your personal story to broader housing policy issues. 

Key Elements of the Storytelling Template: 

• Introduction – Who are you? What unique perspectives do you bring to the conversation? 
• Your Experience – What challenges have you faced in accessing housing? How have these challenges impacted you and your family? 
• Systemic Barriers – What barriers in housing systems or policies have created these challenges? 
• The Human Impact – Share the emotional and practical toll of housing instability. 
• A Call to Action – What changes would you like to see in housing policies? What actions can decision-makers take to address the issues you’ve faced? 

This structure makes it easier to shape your personal story into a powerful testimony that policymakers can’t ignore.  

It will also support you when filling out the Neha Review Panel online form’s five questions: 

1. Vision: What is your vision for safe, adequate, and affordable housing for women, Two Spirit, Trans, and gender-diverse people? 
2. Knowledge: What knowledge can be used to inform or support this vision? 
3. Reason: Why is this vision important? 
4. Action: What actions are needed to make this vision a reality? 
5. Is there anything else you want us to know about you to understand your comments better?

Review Panel Testimony

We understand that sharing your story is a deeply personal and vulnerable act. That’s why the Neha Review Panel is committed to handling all lived experience testimonies with the utmost respect and care. They will: 

Ensure your story is heard by decision-makers who have the power to enact change. 

Use your story to recommend stronger housing policies that prioritize justice, equity, and inclusion. 

There are two pays to participate in the Neha Review Panel: 

1. Sending in written testimony as an individual by filling out the online form, or sending in a report as an organization or group, and 
2. Participating in an upcoming virtual or in-person dialogue with the panel members. 

Your voice is essential to building a more just housing system. And we are committed to amplifying that voice responsibly and ethically. 

Get Involved: Resources to Support Your Storytelling Journey

We’re here to help you every step of the way. To support your storytelling for advocacy, we offer: 

• Online Sessions – Join our virtual workshops to learn how to effectively share your story for advocacy purposes. 
• Check out our upcoming webinar on Tuesday, January 21 at 1 p.m. ET that we are co-hosting with the Accessible Housing Network. Find out how to create an individual written submission. REGISTER HERE 
• The Mobilizing on the Right to Housing Toolkit – Access our comprehensive guide to storytelling for housing justice at by clicking here. 

Your story can make a difference. It can shift policies and change lives. 

We invite you to take that step and share your story—because your lived experience matters.  

Ready to Share Your Story or Help Someone Share Theirs?

If you would like to become a Community Champion by help those you know in your network or community who have experienced homelessness or housing instability, sign up and receive training from us and an honouraria for your time.