Union and Trustee Roundtable: Responsible Investment in Rental Housing

Canada is facing a housing affordability crisis. Rising housing costs have been accompanied by a surge in institutional investment in the multifamily rental market – a phenomenon known as the financialization of housing. The investments that pension funds, asset managers, private equity firms and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) are coming under increasing scrutiny.

There are few tools to guide investors in navigating environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations related to the human right to adequate housing in the housing sector. The Shareholder Association for Research and Education (SHARE) had developed a draft set of principles and an implementation framework for responsible investment in housing. You are invited to a roundtable session to discuss these principles and provide input into the final version. The document will be sent to all participants prior to the event.

This session will include a presentation of the principles and framework and a discussion addressing questions such as:

• What should be included in a set of principles for institutional investment in housing?
• What types of practices should be encouraged and/or discouraged in residential real estate investment?
• What can and should investors expect of their asset managers and operators?
• What action can pension fund trustees and trade unions take to align the investment of workers’ capital with workers’ needs and interests – in the short, medium and long term?

Date: June 7, 2023
Time: 10 am PT | 1 pm ET
Audience: pension fund trustees, trade union members and trade union representatives