HOUSING

On June 30, 2008, the role of the Ontario Human Rights Commission changed. The Commission will no longer accept complaints of discrimination. As a result, some publications may contain information that is out-of-date. Click here to read more about the Commission’s changing mission.

OHRC asks partners to spread human rights in housing message

You can help spread the word that people have human rights in housing, and that the OHRC has published a new policy that provides details about housing providers’ and tenants’ rights and responsibilities. You are invited to print off and post one – or all – of three colour posters included below.

These posters direct people to the OHRC’s website, which contains critical information on human rights in housing that tenants, housing providers and landlords need to know.

tenant poster tenants housing provider poster housing providers landlord poster landlords

Human Rights and Rental Housing

Adequate and affordable housing is a human rights issue – we all need a decent place to live. The right to housing is recognized in international law and the right to housing free from discrimination is protected in Ontario’s Human Rights Code. The Ontario Human Rights Commission’s vision is of an Ontario where everyone is valued, treated with respect, and where human rights are nurtured by us all. Promoting and enforcing the right to live in and enjoy housing free from discrimination is a fundamental part of this vision.

Policy on human rights and rental housing

On October 5, 2009, the OHRC released its Policy on human rights and rental housing. The policy follows extensive research and consultation with tenants, housing providers, decision-makers and other partners. Its aim is to provide tools, practical scenarios and information that can be applied to everyday situations, so that human rights problems can be eliminated quickly or prevented from happening in the first place. The Policy is Canada’s first comprehensive look at how barriers to housing can be indentified and eliminated.

Housing consultation and report

In May 2007, the Commission initiated a public consultation and held public and private meetings, received written submissions, and met with hundreds of individuals and groups across the province.

The Commission’s report, Right at home: Report on the consultation on rental housing and human rights, released July 8, 2008, talks about the challenges faced by individual tenants and housing providers, and identifies significant systemic and societal barriers in Ontario’s rental housing system. The framework for action recognizes that we all have a role to play in understanding and eliminating housing discrimination in Ontario.

For more information about this issue, please refer to the following documents: