Canada’s federally appointed housing advocate charged taxpayers nearly $14,000 for a business-class trip to Cairo, prompting internal concern from public servants who questioned the cost and purpose of the overseas travel, newly released records show.Marie-Josée Houle, who earns $213,000 a year as Housing Advocate, travelled to Egypt from November 1 to 21, 2024, ostensibly to attend the United Nations World Urban Forum. The conference itself ran for just five days, ending November 8, with no clear explanation in records for the additional two weeks abroad.Access to Information emails reveal senior staff flagging the expenses. “I have several questions,” one manager wrote. Another said they also had concerns “with regard to the Cairo trip.”The total cost of the travel came to $13,684. Houle flew business class, with staff later explaining economy seating “was not available for the dates requested.” She stayed at Cairo’s Marriott and Triumph hotels, despite assurances from her executive assistant that efforts were made to avoid luxury accommodations. “Even when looking at hotels, I avoided any that had an opulent name,” the assistant wrote..In an initial expense report, the purpose of the trip was listed as “training.” A later Travel Authority form offered a different rationale, calling the timing “fortuitous” given Houle’s “record of success and body of work to reflect upon.”The Travel Authority further justified the travel as supporting United Nations housing objectives and advancing housing as a human right. It said Houle was promoting Canadian values and positioning the National Housing Strategy Act as a model for other countries.“The advocate is finalizing her first term with a possible reappointment which positions her uniquely to share her reflections and lessons learned and to constructively engage internationally,” the document stated. “The advocate has a lot to share after her first term.”Cabinet reappointed Houle to a second three-year term on Feb. 21. Her office was later ordered by Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard to release the travel receipts..Houle was the first Housing Advocate appointed under the National Housing Strategy Act and has been a vocal critic of market-based housing policy. Testifying before the Commons human resources committee in 2023, she said, “Markets are not working well. We have let housing be market-driven.”“It’s my job to be a watchdog for housing and homelessness in Canada,” Houle has said. “My position is independent and non-partisan. This is new territory for all of us.”
