[homeles_ot-l] Ottawa & FW: [hhno-on] Report back from Toronto - Ontario Human Rights Commission Consultation on discrimination in rental housing

[Lynne Browne]

Some news below about the Toronto roundtable. 

 

Ottawa’s session is June 25th at Richelieu-Vanier Community Centre (Map
attached)

300 des Peres-Blancs Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1L 7L5 

 

Roundtable discussions: 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.  The roundtables will take place at
from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. and involve organizations, experts and advocates with
a broad range of experience in this area.  Participants will be asked to
discuss questions related to the areas identified in the Commission’s
Consultation Paper and Background Paper (see below for Toronto questions).
Due to the number of organizations that have expressed an interest in
attending, participation in the roundtables is limited to two persons per
organization.

 

Public session: 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.  In addition, the Commission is holding a
public session from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. to hear from interested individuals
and organizations about issues in the papers and experiences related to
human rights and housing. There is no limit on the number of persons who can
attend the evening session.  We hope that you will participate in both
sessions and also encourage you to invite others who may be interested,
including persons with direct experience with human rights issues in rental
housing, such as tenants and housing providers, to attend the evening
session.

Lynne Browne 
Coordinator, Alliance to End Homelessness 
147 Besserer Street, Ottawa ON  K1N 6A7 
613-241-7913 x 205, lbrowne at ysb.on.ca 
www.endhomelessnessottawa.ca 

   _____  

From: hhno-on at povnet.org [mailto:hhno-on at povnet.org] 
Sent: June 15, 2007 4:00 PM
To: hhno-on at povnet.org
Subject: [hhno-on] report back on Ontario human rights commission
consultation on discrimination in rental housing (Toronto)

 

Hoping others will chime in who were there, and we can all talk later about
what kinds of written submissions can be sent in (even if they are
single-issue items with case samples, for instance). 

I attended the OHRC consultation in Toronto yesterday from two to 5 p.m.  It
was a round table discussion.  Each table was asked to consider the
following four questions:

-- what are the systemic barriers to people accessing and maintaining
housing?

-- what are some specific measures to improve access and whose
responsibility are they?

-- what are legitimate questions in the screening of prospective tenants?

-- what about a landlord's duty to accommodate?  

 

Social housing providers were strongly represented.  There was also a
representative from the Federation of Rental Housing Providers of Ontario,
who left after the break.  Everyone's comments were transcribed verbatim at
each table and each table was asked to report back on two points only from
their discussion.  There was good representation from community legal
clinics.  The issue of NIMBY (not in my backyard) was raised repeatedly.
Social housing providers felt that the duty to accommodate had "gone too
far" and that the landlord and tenant board is routinely refusing to evict
tenants with mental health problems to the detriment of other residents.
The commission said they want to explore this issue further in terms of
"balance".  The commission also said they are reaching out to boards and
tribunals to offer training in human rights.  I have to dash, but I'm sure
others who were at the session will weigh in.

 

Jennifer Ramsay

Advocacy and Outreach Coordinator

Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO)

425 Adelaide Street West, 5th Floor

Toronto, ON M5V 3C1

HYPERLINK "http://www.acto.ca/"www.acto.ca

416-597-5855 x5168

Toll free: 1-866-245-4182

E-mail: ramsayjg at lao.on.ca

 


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