Result of Service
The consultant will be responsible for contributing to the preparation of the Accessible-Ready Housing Guidance package and advocacy efforts, and for leading consultation and partner engagement processes. Under the guidance of the UN-Habitat Canada Office team, the consultant will ensure that the diverse perspectives and experiences of persons with disabilities meaningfully inform future refinement of the Accessible-Ready Housing Standard by managing co-creation activities, accessibility-focused policy analysis, and contributions to prototype development, checklists, and process maps. This contribution will support UN-Habitat Canada’s housing programme and contribute to national and global knowledge exchange on accessible housing and standards development.
Duties and Responsibilities
UN-Habitat is the agency for human settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. UN-Habitat Canada Office strengthens the organization’s mission by serving as a focal point for partnerships, applied research, and policy engagement in Canada and across North America for the implementation of UN-Habitat’s 2026-2029 Strategic Plan. Operating from the City of Montreal, the office plays a central role in four domains: partner engagement and resource mobilization; research-policy-action interface; advocacy and communication; and the advancement of sustainable urbanization agendas within the Canadian and North American context. The UN-Habitat Canada Office places particular emphasis on knowledge and innovation with a view to accelerating housing solutions that are affordable, adequate, resilient, and compatible with national and global commitments. In alignment with its housing and urban development priorities, the Canada Office also contributes to UN-Habitat’s global efforts to strengthen intergovernmental dialogue and cooperation on housing in close cooperation with UN-Habitat's Land, Housing and Shelter Section in Nairobi, Kenya. This includes supporting the work of the Open-Ended Intergovernmental Expert Working Group on Adequate Housing for All (OWEG-H), which aims to advance a shared understanding and actionable recommendations for realizing the right to adequate housing within the framework of the New Urban Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. Through evidence-based research, policy engagement, and partnership-building, the Canada Office helps ensure that global innovations and lessons inform and enrich the OEWG-H’s deliberations and outputs. As part of its housing programme, the UN Habitat Canada Office is implementing a project on Accessible Ready Housing in Canada to advance inclusive design, standards and practice. The UN-Habitat Canada Office is seeking a motivated, highly skilled, and experienced mid-level professionals to join the project team as the Housing Accessibility Standards Specialist. The position is initially offered as a six-month contract, with the possibility of extension based on a positive performance evaluation. The Housing Accessibility Standards Specialist will support the development of the Accessible-Ready Housing Guidance Package, contribute to the engagement and co-creation with municipalities, persons with disabilities and their organizations (OPDs), conduct applied research on accessibility standards and policies in Canada and internationally and support project management in ensuring project delivery and workflow during the period of employment. The consultant will support the project management team in national and international advocacy efforts, prepare meetings of the project advisory committee, facilitate workshops and webinars, contribute to the development of training materials, organize project related events, and coordinate inputs between the Guidance Package and the Design Compendium to ensure that design strategies and policy pathways are aligned and mutually inform each other. Further, the consultant will contribute to ensuring consistent documentation and version control of all project materials. Reporting line This on-site position is fulltime, and is based in Montreal, Canada. This position reports directly to the Head of Office of the UN-Habitat Canada Office (or a designated supervisor). Applicants must be Canadian residents or citizens or have permission to work in Canada. Duties and Responsibilities The consultant will carry out the following tasks and responsibilities: 1. Contribute to the development of the Accessible-Ready Housing Guidance Package, ensuring that accessibility barriers and solutions identified by persons with disabilities are meaningfully reflected in standards review recommendations. 2. Contribute to consultations and co-creation processes with persons with disabilities, OPDs, Indigenous disability organizations, municipal staff, and technical experts to gather evidence on accessibility challenges across planning, permitting, and regulatory systems, to validate findings and ensure accessibility perspectives are central to the Guidance Package. 3. Analyze feedback from consultations to formulate standard and policy reformulation recommendations identifying systemic barriers, regulatory gaps, and opportunities and ensure alignment of co-creation inputs with prototype layouts by providing accessibility-focused interpretation of spatial, regulatory, and usability challenges 4. Contribute to the mapping of municipal, provincial, and federal regulatory workflows, identifying where accessibility considerations are overlooked or insufficiently integrated through reporting, compliance, and monitoring. 5. Contribute to reviewing feasibility and cost considerations from an accessibility perspective, identifying how design, regulatory, or financial barriers disproportionately affect persons with disabilities. 6. Contribute to developing knowledge and training products in accessible formats, plain-language summaries, and dissemination materials for national and international events (e.g., State of Cities Summit, WUF14), including visualizations, diagrams. 7. Prepare regular progress reports and contribute to the Canada Office’s housing programme and global knowledge exchange. 8. Support project management, knowledge management, coordination, and administrative tasks. 9. Contribute to strategic partnerships and alliances with academic institutions, housing design and standards agencies, Indigenous and community-based organizations, and international partners. 10. Contribute to resource mobilization and proposal development efforts related to housing research, innovation, and accessible housing solutions. 11. Provide support preparing inputs for major global events, including the World Urban Forum, the High-Level Political Forum and other key international convenings.
Qualifications/special skills
A Master’s degree in Social Policy, Architecture, Urban Planning, Housing Policy, or a closely related field, with demonstrated experience in leading community engagement and co-creation processes and translating results into policy-relevant recommendations is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Persons with lived experiences are strongly encouraged to apply for the position. Desirable specializations include demonstrated familiarity with the Canadian housing, planning, and building regulatory context (federal, provincial, and municipal jurisdictional divisions), as well as accessibility policy, disability inclusion, inclusive design, housing, or a closely related field. A minimum of 2 years of experience in accessibility policy, disability inclusion, inclusive design, housing, or a closely related field is required. Demonstrated experience designing or facilitating accessible and inclusive engagement processes with persons with disabilities and/or Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) is required. Knowledge of disability-inclusive and rights-based approaches to housing and the built environment, including the diversity of accessibility needs across disability groups is required. Demonstrated ability to conduct applied research on housing adequacy — including cultural adequacy, accessibility, and climate-smart housing — and to synthesize and present complex information in formats accessible to policymakers, practitioners, and diverse audiences is required. Experience translating stakeholder and lived-experience evidence into policy, regulatory, or practical guidance is desirable. Experience in accessible, adaptable, and/or universal housing design approaches and relevant Canadian or international standards and precedents, analyzing and applying frameworks or standards related to accessible, inclusive, and culturally responsive housing design and policy is desirable. Strong report writing, reviewing, and editorial skills are highly desirable. Progressively responsible work experience at the national or international level in the field of accessibility or housing systems, sustainable urban development, and knowledge management is desirable. Experience working with persons with disabilities and their organizations, Indigenous or community-led housing initiatives, or in culturally diverse contexts, is an asset. Experience working in the United Nations Common System or other international organizations is desirable.
