I’ve written and spoken a fair bit about the Human Rights Code and how pending changes are going to make it unwise for landlords in Ontario, particularly small landlords, to take the risk of becoming landlords. Last year’s “consultation” (if you can call it that) laid the groundwork for the policy guidelines that are being introduced on Monday morning, October 5th by Barbara Hall. Here’s a link to the press release:

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/arch … c3364.html

These guidelines will form the basis for all adjudicative decision-making at the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal, and at all courts and administrative tribunals including the Landlord and Tenant Board where there are issues related to housing and human rights.

I hope you all take the time to read it when it is released. I suspect you will be shocked. Ontario has embarked on a 30 year commitment to de-institutionalize those with mental health problems, and has instead focused on community living. Of course the governments have provided almost no money to house those who need support services, and as a result, the problem of homelessness and under-housing of those with physical and mental health issues is now a crisis.

This policy guideline will be the last piece of the puzzle. Without explicitly saying so, the commission (the government, although some will argue otherwise) will mandate that instead of the taxpayer being responsible for those vulnerable persons who need our support, the burden will fall to landlords. Instead of building more social housing, and in particular providing funds for alternative, transitional and supportive housing, the government has washed its hands of those most needing its help, and is saying “Here landlords, now you deal with what used to be a larger societal problem. You will need to accommodate the tenants’ disabilities to the point of your insolvency, you will need to modify your dwellings, you can’t evict problem tenants despite dangerous or unreasonable conditions occurring, even if you live in the same house.and we (the government) won’t be there to provide help or financial support.”

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s potentially devastating announcement.