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The Low-end of Market Rental (LEMR) Housing Monitor project aims to build an understanding of the scale of and change in affordable housing stock in Canada, through the lens of six major urban centres: Calgary, Halifax, Greater Montreal Area, Greater Toronto Area, Metro Vancouver Area, and Winnipeg.

The project was developed by the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR), Purpose Analytics, the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association (ONPHA) and R and Shiny Developer Sharla Gelfand, with generous support from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Housing Supply Challenge.

The lack of affordable rental housing across the country has resulted in a crisis in many Canadian cities, especially for lower-income renters who face increasing difficulties securing a home they can afford. Despite growing attention paid to this issue, little is currently known about the scale and scope of the existing deeply affordable housing stock in Canada, or about changes taking place at the low-end of the private rental market, which are the most affordable private housing options available to residents.

The project produced an online tool called the Low-end of Market Rental (LEMR) Housing Monitor, which integrates and aggregates existing data related to the loss of units and the displacement of people living in deeply affordable rental housing in urban areas. The project will also evaluate the potential to use these datasets to produce a modelled estimate of how the supply and location of deeply affordable market rental housing is changing over time.

Data has been brought in from various sources including census data, administrative data from local governments and data from community organizations. The goal is to provide accessible, centralized data that can enrich evidence-based decision-making in housing across Canada.

The LEMR Housing Monitor can be used by policymakers, urban planners, service providers, and community advocates to actively intervene on issues related to housing supply and to monitor the impact of their housing programs and policies. In this way, the tool can empower and equip decision-makers with the best information to make data-driven decisions and address gaps in our understanding of rental housing trends. 


Project background 

The Low-end of Market Rental (LEMR) Housing Monitor is funded by CMHC’s Housing Supply Challenge, a fund aimed at creating solutions to overcoming barriers to the creation of new housing supply in Canada. The focus of the data-driven round of the challenge is on improving access to data so that it can be utilized in important housing decisions. The Housing Supply Challenge is one way in which Canada’s National Housing Strategy is promoting informed decision-making throughout government.

In the absence of an adequate supply of social and non-profit housing, it is the “low end” of the private rental market where the majority of lower-income renters must seek housing, and it is this supply that appears to be declining the fastest. Deeply affordable rental housing, or low-end of market rentals, represents a critical component of the housing spectrum, providing homes to lower income households where equity-deserving groups are disproportionately represented.

In a 2020 study, housing policy expert Steve Pomeroy found that from 2011 to 2016, for every new affordable unit of housing created in Canada through government funded programs, Canada lost 15 existing affordable private market rental units. Without a baseline understanding of the current state of affordable housing stock in major cities, and no way to monitor change over time, it is currently impossible for decision-makers to actively intervene on issues related to housing supply and to monitor the impact of housing programs and policies. Although some data on these matters exists, it tends to be scattered in various (and sometimes unknown) locations across Canada’s urban and rural municipalities. There is no central point where this information is stored, systematically organized, and shared.

The LEMR Housing Monitor tool was developed as a response to this gap, and will provide a sophisticated tool serving as a central point to access trustworthy data on deeply affordable private market units. The project will also identify possible data gaps in the six urban centres, and assess where the collection of additional and new data may be necessary.


Acknowledgements

The LEMR Housing Monitor would not have been possible without the contributions of dozens of organizations and advisors across Canada. We thank them for their invaluable contributions and intrinsic roles in establishing this tool. 

Meet our advisors.


The Low-End of Market Rental (LEMR) project received funding from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) under the Housing Supply Challenge. However, the views expressed are the personal views of the author and CMHC accepts no responsibility for them. 


The Canadian Centre for Housing Rights undertook a research project from 2023-2024 to deepen an understanding of the relationship between gender-based violence (GBV) and housing insecurity in Ontario, as well as to understand how the province’s housing affordability crisis is impacting the housing experiences of survivors.

The new knowledge produced through this project will help inform policy solutions that can improve the housing conditions of survivors of GBV.  

Gender-based violence (GBV) and intimate partner/interpersonal violence (IPV) are pervasive problems in Canada, and there is extensive literature on these issues. However, little is known about the relationship between GBV and housing insecurity. To address this knowledge gap, CCHR examined this relationship and how the housing affordability crisis in Ontario is impacting survivors’ housing experiences in five Ontario communities: Toronto, Ottawa, Peterborough, Thunder Bay and Lanark County.  

CCHR undertook a survey with survivors, interviews with service providers and an analysis of housing market conditions in each community under study to illustrate the ways in which the ongoing crisis of housing affordability in Ontario is impacting the housing security of survivors. 

Our research findings 

Our research report “Nowhere To Go: Gender-based Violence and Housing Insecurity in Ontario” presents a detailed examination of these key findings from our research: 

  1. Unaffordable housing is a significant barrier for survivors of GBV. 
  2. Survivors are facing a high degree of housing insecurity that originates from their experiences of GBV and is compounded by Ontario’s housing affordability crisis.  
  3. Many survivors are either remaining in unsafe housing with their abusers or are returning to live with their abusers after having left, because of a lack of available housing options.
  4. Survivors are facing significant barriers to accessing housing in the private rental market, including a high degree of discrimination. 
  5. Existing shelter, income and other community supports are inadequate or are not meeting the diverse needs of survivors. 
  6. Experiencing GBV and related housing insecurity in smaller and more rural communities poses unique challenges to survivors. 

Our policy solutions

Based on these key findings, CCHR has also developed the following policy recommendations that aim to improve the housing conditions of survivors. Read our report for detailed information about these solutions. 

Affordability measures: 

  1. Increase the supply of social housing. 
  2. Attach affordability requirements to funding for private sector developers. 
  3. Expand programs that preserve affordable housing. 
  4. Amend the Ontario Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) to increase affordability. 
  5. Address the financialization of housing. 

Provision of services and supports 

  1. Fund targeted programs for women and gender-diverse people, while reducing barriers to access. 
  2. Expand funding and criteria for the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit (COHB). 
  3. Change the definition of homelessness in current programs to include hidden homelessness and survivors who are unable to leave contexts in which they are experiencing GBV/IPV. 
  4. Increase investments in existing services. 
  5. Create second-stage shelters in smaller communities. 
  6. Increase social assistance rates. 
  7. Reduce barriers in accessing social assistance. 
  8. Amend the Special Priority Policy (SPP) application process. 
  9. Reduce barriers to accessing subsidized housing. 
  10. Introduce safe at home programming. 
  11. Collect more data in rural and remote areas. 

Address discrimination 

  1. Establish monitoring and enforcement mechanisms.
  2. Provide no-fee guarantor services to support survivors.
  3. Investigate the scope of discrimination. 
  4. Restore funding to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. 

Inclusive and anti-colonialist considerations 

  1. Increase targeted services for groups in greatest need.
  2. Increase accessible housing. 
  3. Be alert to the experiences of Indigenous women and gender-diverse people. 
  4. Increase investments in For Indigenous, By Indigenous housing. 

Acknowledgements

This project is generously supported by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s National Housing Strategy Research and Planning Fund.

CCHR would also like to acknowledge the contributions of our advisory council, Dr. Carolyn Whitzman, the Canadian Women’s Foundation and the Woman Abuse Council of Toronto (WomanACT), in informing the project’s methods, in carrying out data collection and in advising this research. CCHR would like to thank Dr. Jewelles Smith of Procne Navigation for her support with this research. CCHR would also like to thank the many individuals working in service provision who took time to participate in an interview and distribute the project’s survey as well as the individuals with lived experience of gender-based violence and related housing insecurity who generously shared their time and expertise to participate in our survey. 

This research received ethics approval from the Community Research Ethics Office in Waterloo, Ontario. 


By supporting the Secure Homes for Renters campaign and the ongoing work of the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR), you can help address the growing issue of housing insecurity faced by countless renters across the country. 

It’s no secret that the path to a sustainable solution is a complex one, fraught with historical negligence and systemic challenges. The decline in governmental support and oversight of the housing system over the past decades has directly contributed to the current crisis, leaving countless renters vulnerable to exploitation and insecurity.  

However, in the face of this challenging reality, hope prevails – CCHR and its network of over 100 partners across the country stand together, advocating tirelessly for the rights and well-being of renters, offering vital support and resources, and driving critical changes in policy and practice. 

At the forefront of this transformative movement is the call for strong rent regulations that ensure fairness and security for all renters. Over the past four decades, provinces have steadily withdrawn from regulations protecting tenants from excessive and unfair rents. While some provinces have retained a measure of protection, more comprehensive and uniform regulations are imperative to protect renters from unjustified rent increases and exploitative practices.  

Your support for the Secure Homes for Renters campaign directly contributes to this crucial mission, advocating for the implementation of fundamental protections that safeguard renters’ rights and pave the way for a more equitable housing landscape in our country.  

CCHR’s multifaceted approach to tackling the housing crisis encompasses not only immediate interventions but also strategic, data-driven initiatives aimed at fostering lasting change.  

Through our Renter Helpline serving Ontario renters, individuals facing eviction and rights violations receive vital legal counsel and support, bolstering their ability to navigate complex housing challenges. Additionally, CCHR’s commitment to public education workshops and community sector training fosters a culture of empowerment and knowledge, equipping both renters and housing providers with the tools needed to secure housing stability. 

Moreover, CCHR’s dedication to delivering comprehensive data and research serves as a cornerstone for evidence-based policy recommendations, shedding light on critical gaps in knowledge and advocating for impactful, systemic solutions. By collaborating with local partners and advocating for rights-based housing initiatives, CCHR ignites a movement that transcends individual experiences, mobilizing communities and decision-makers to prioritize the fundamental right to housing for all. 

Your support is instrumental in sustaining and expanding the transformative work of the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights. Your contributions enable the organization to continue empowering communities, delivering key research, and advocating for crucial policy changes.  

Together, we can build a future where every Canadian has access to a secure and affordable place to call home.  


Join us in this collective effort to champion housing security and equity for all.

Together, we can create a country where secure homes for renters are not a privilege but a fundamental right. Please give generously today.

Renters across Canada are in crisis, facing growing housing insecurity due to the high cost and scarcity of housing options that meet their needs. Across the country, the cost of rental housing has increased rapidly over the past decade, and right now, half of renters are worried about being able to pay their rent. When affordable housing options are not available, lower income renters cannot afford other basics like food and medication, and are forced to live in precarious, inadequate and sometimes unsafe housing. 

At the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights, we hear these stories every day – renters who are in fear of losing their homes because they cannot afford the latest rent increase, or who are living in poorly maintained or overcrowded homes that put their health at risk, but have nowhere else they can afford to go.  

Recent polls show that increasing rental costs and the lack of affordable rental housing is a serious concern for 95% of Canadians. Every day, people across Canada are being pushed out of their homes. This is unacceptable and cannot continue – renters deserve fair rents and basic legal protections, and it’s time for our governments to step in and help ensure all renters can afford the housing they need.  

The housing affordability crisis did not happen overnight.  

At one time, our governments took a more active role in supporting our housing systems with programs and policies aimed at ensuring that housing remains affordable for Canadians across the income spectrum. From the 1940s to 1970s, governments across Canada played key roles in regulating housing markets and investing in the development of social and purpose-built rental housing. However, beginning in the 1980s and through the 2010s, governments progressively withdrew from their role regulating and investing in housing in the public interest. Their decision to do so has directly contributed to the current housing affordability crisis and growing rates of homelessness.  

It is not a coincidence that housing costs and rates of homelessness both grew during the 40-year period when governments scaled back their support and oversight of the housing system. This withdrawal has had many consequences, including rising housing costs, the stalling of construction of rental housing, and greater housing insecurity for low and middle income renters.  

It does not have to be this way. 

Now is the time for our governments to re-engage with the role they once played supporting a healthy housing system that protects renters and ensures they have a secure place to call home. A key way they can do this right now is by ensuring basic protections like rent regulations are in place across the country. Governments have a role to play in regulating businesses to promote healthy markets and protect consumers, and that must extend to rental housing. Currently, although some provincial and territorial laws provide a degree of rent regulation, renters are not adequately protected against excessive rent increases anywhere in Canada.  

In the absence of strong laws that regulate rents, private landlords are free to charge rents far higher than what is necessary to cover their expenses and make a reasonable profit. This practice is known as rent gouging, and it’s causing rents to climb excessively across Canada to the point that half of renters are worried about being able to pay their rent. In many places, price gouging laws prohibit businesses from taking advantage of emergencies to overcharge for basic necessities. Yet, even though housing is a basic necessity and a human right, rent gouging is legal everywhere in Canada. 

Also, the regulations that are in place vary across the country. For example, some provinces have rules for calculating allowed rent increases above the limits, but the formulae used are broken, allowing landlords to impose excessive increases that widen their profit margins at renters’ expense. Other provinces allow unlimited rent increases across the board.   

Long-term solutions don’t need to take a long time. 

Solving Canada’s housing affordability crisis requires cross-governmental and cross-sectoral collaboration on both long- and short-term initiatives. The creation of new affordable housing is key, but requires an extensive investment of time, resources and collaboration to implement. In the meantime, it is crucial that we protect the few affordable homes that still exist. One quick and cost-effective way this can be done is through provincial and territorial governments implementing strong rent regulations to ensure that rents are fair and renters have basic protections to live securely in their homes.   

Last year, hundreds of people across the country joined our call on the federal government to take action to ensure that all renters across Canada have a secure place to call home. Now we’re calling on all provincial and territorial governments to do their part.  

Join us in this push to save renters’ homes and demand action on affordability by writing to your provincial or territorial representatives. 

Housing is a human right, and it’s time for our governments to take action to protect renters’ right to live securely in their homes. 


Donate today to support the campaign.

The Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR) proudly partnered with the Public Interest Law Centre (PILC) and other non-profit organizations in Manitoba on a project that aimed to prevent unnecessary evictions of vulnerable households in the province.

Across Canada, renters are increasingly struggling to find affordable housing and to remain in their homes. Eviction rates are shockingly high, with 7% of Canadian households reporting that they have been evicted at some point in their lives. Some of these households are evicted when they fall behind on rent because of temporary financial difficulties. Others are evicted because of solvable problems like noise complaints. With varying decisions related to the eviction of people from their rental homes, it is unclear how decisions are considered and whether alternative solutions were pursued.  

It is incumbent upon courts and tribunals to identify situations where eviction is not a necessary means to resolve disputes, and to prioritize alternative measures that will prevent people from unnecessarily losing their home. Many evictions are not necessary – and unnecessary evictions are a violation of the right to housing. People who are unnecessarily evicted from their homes may not find another permanent place to live and could experience homelessness as a result. This is why CCHR and our partners in Manitoba worked to develop legal arguments that will assist local advocates in fighting these evictions. 

In some provinces, the law allows tenancy tribunals to respect tenants’ right to housing by recognizing alternatives to eviction. This allows the tenant and landlord to pursue other ways to resolve their issues, considering each party’s circumstances and abilities, while meeting their contractual obligations. An important alternative to an eviction is called a conditional order, which is a way for a tribunal to recognize the many cases where eviction may be avoided. A conditional order directs a tenant to resolve an issue in their tenancy. For example, a tenant who owes rent can be given a repayment plan. A tenant who has been impacting their neighbours with excessive noise can be directed to make less noise. Conditional orders can prevent evictions, allowing for other solutions to resolve an existing tenancy issue while keeping a tenant housed and respecting the landlord’s interest in ensuring that issues are resolved. 

CCHR undertook detailed research into the history of conditional orders in Manitoba. We discovered that the Residential Tenancies Branch (RTB) used to routinely avoid evictions by making conditional orders. But in 2009-2010, the RTB suddenly, and without any explanation, largely abandoned this important eviction prevention tool. 

As a result, tenants in Manitoba are routinely subjected to unnecessary eviction with no consideration of alternative solutions and whether their tenancies actually need to end. 

CCHR worked with community organizations in Manitoba to develop legal arguments to persuade the RTB to resume the use of conditional orders as regular practice. In every eviction hearing, the RTB must approach eviction as a last resort, considering whether an eviction is really necessary, or whether a conditional order would be a better option. 

At the same time, we also worked to persuade the Manitoba government to amend its Residential Tenancies Act to provide that RTB adjudicators may only order an eviction if the landlord has proved that it is necessary and that a conditional order would not be possible.


This project was generously supported by the Manitoba Law Foundation.  


Learn more about conditional orders

The Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2023 Canadian Right to Housing Research Fellowships:

Brittany Cormier and Monika Imeri

Brittany Cormier and Monika Imeri

About the fellowship

The Canadian Right to Housing Fellowship program aims to foster and promote research that advances understanding of the housing landscape in Canada and of housing as a human right.  

About the 2023 fellows

Brittany Cormier

Brittany is a master’s student at Saint Mary’s University, a qualitative researcher and an abstract painter based in Charlottetown, PEI. She holds a first-class standing bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in sociology from the University of Prince Edward Island. Brittany studies hidden and at-risk forms of homelessness in her community, as well as evictions and housing discrimination experienced by tenants. Her recent work includes research and administration, provincial-level policy work, and program delivery in the non-profit sector.  

As a research fellow with CCHR, her project will examine discriminatory practices in the rental housing sector, examining the impacts of housing discrimination on communities and how it undermines the right to housing.  

Monika Imeri

Monika is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Geography at Carleton University. She holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Middle East Technical University in Turkey, where she graduated summa cum laude in city planning. She is actively engaged with local community organizations and advocates for urban justice in Ottawa, where she is based.   

As a research fellow with CCHR, her project will examine the multidimensional impacts of development-led displacement in Ottawa. She will take an ethnographic case study approach to document the lived experiences of tenants from equity-deserving communities who have been affected by dispossession, housing insecurity, and discrimination in Ottawa. The project will uncover and shed light on the lived realities of displacement and its impacts on equity-deserving populations. 


Read the fellows’ research reports

The Canadian Centre for Housing Rights’ (CCHR) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Annie Hodgins as CCHR’s next Executive Director.

A woman stands in front of a bookcase, smiling at the camera. She has long dark brown hair, and is wearing a black blazer jacket.

Following a comprehensive national search, the Board has selected Annie to continue her trajectory with the organization in this leadership capacity, a role she has held in an acting position since July 2022. 

Annie is a seasoned non-profit leader with expertise in housing law and policy, fund development, operations and strategic management, knowledge mobilization, capacity-building, public engagement, and advocacy. Over nearly a decade, she has served the organization in several roles including in executive leadership, operations, tenant services and public legal education. Most recently, Annie worked alongside the previous Executive Director to expand the organization’s work across Canada, to respond to the growing housing challenges facing people and communities. As a result, the organization is working to advance systemic change on a larger scale than ever before, with expanded services, a renewed focus on community-relevant and evidence-based policy advocacy, a new research department, and a thriving law reform practice. 

Outside of her role at CCHR, Annie serves as the co-chair of the City of Toronto’s Housing and Homelessness Services Network, as a member of Toronto City Council’s Tenant Advisory Committee, and as a board member at All Saints Church and Community Centre. 

“Annie is a passionate and dedicated leader, with a strong commitment to advancing the right to housing for all Canadians. The Board congratulates Annie on this appointment, and thanks her for her years of service to the organization. Through Annie’s leadership, we know the organization will continue rising to meet the challenges that lay ahead and to drive the important work of the organization until everyone has a safe and secure place to call home.”

CCHR Board Co-Chairs

About Annie Hodgins

Annie has worked with communities, advocates and governments to advance the right to housing in Canada for a decade. In her time at CCHR she has held various roles including Deputy Executive Director, Manager of Operations and Strategic Initiatives, and Manager of CCHR’s Tenant Services Program. Annie is a skilled writer and public speaker with expertise in housing law and policy, fund development, operations, strategic management, knowledge mobilization and capacity building. Before joining CCHR in 2013, she worked in fund development and as a Researcher and Office Manager for the Institute on Governance, supporting the work of Vice President of the Toronto office. Annie has a Bachelor’s degree in History and English from the University of Toronto and a Master’s degree in History from York University. She also holds certificates in Strategy and Competitive Advantage from the Rotman School of Management, and Non-Profit Leadership from the University of Toronto. She is involved in several committees and boards, including as the co-chair of the City of Toronto’s Housing and Homelessness Services Network, as a member of Toronto City Council’s Tenant Advisory Committee, and as a board member at All Saints Church and Community Centre. 

A woman is standing on her balcony, leaning with her arms folded on the railing in front of her. She looks out to the city below with a somber expression.

Across Canada, renters are increasingly at risk of housing insecurity. Many are facing “economic eviction” due to excessive rent increases, others are forced to live in over-crowded, poorly-maintained, or inaccessible homes because it is the only housing they can afford, and some also face discrimination and other illegal behaviour from landlords.  

This winter, through our Secure Homes for Renters campaign, CCHR is calling on the federal government to ensure that there are basic legal standards to protect renters across Canada, and hundreds of Canadians have joined us in this call.  

We know there is a great need for this work, because renters across the country tell us so every day. Every year, we hear from hundreds of renters about the struggles they are facing in their housing, and these challenges only continue to grow. Our team is working to respond to these challenges by advancing change at a systemic level, and also by helping renters assert their rights and avoid eviction on the ground. 

“A group of four tenants reached out to us back in August. Their landlord was insisting they had to be out because of the sale of the property. He was trying to shame them and squeeze them into leaving,” recounts Tim Heneghan, one of CCHR’s staff lawyers. “Any time the landlord is trying to apply pressure, our job is to minimize that pressure.” 

This past year, nearly 1,700 renters contacted CCHR’s services program for assistance, which is almost 20% higher than last year, and last month, demand for our services reached an all-time high. Our team provides legal information, guided referrals, connections to pro bono legal help, and legal advice and representation to people during what is often a frightening time in their lives.  

CCHR lawyer Ademofe Oye-Adeniran recounts working with a renter who was facing eviction for reasons beyond his control. If this renter were evicted, not only would he lose his home, the city would likely also lose another affordable unit. “Their rent was $700 for a bachelor unit, which was quite affordable for Toronto, and I was able to take that on,” says Oye-Adeniran. She represented the renter in front of the Landlord and Tenant Board, and ultimately helped to prevent him from being evicted.  

In addition to our services, CCHR works to empower communities by delivering training and building leadership and advocacy skills among renters in communities across Ontario, and in cities like Halifax, Winnipeg and Calgary. This year, our training programs reached over 1,100 renters, service providers and housing providers.  

“Last week, tenants who were having an argument with their landlord asked us to come into their building to present a training on housing rights basics,” says Jessica Long, CCHR Senior Program Lawyer. “We provide about two trainings per week, including public presentations at libraries, to students at universities, and to shelter residents.” 

Meaningful engagement is key to realizing the right to housing and advancing secure homes for renters, and it is foundational to our approach. “Any time you are going through something like evictions or issues in your housing situation, and you feel like David and your landlord feels like Goliath, you just have to talk to people,” says Heneghan, reflecting on his experience supporting renters. “The ones who succeed are the ones who look to community, and we’ve got a big part to play there, but just one part of a larger whole.” 

As we continue working toward ensuring that all renters have secure homes, please consider supporting our work by making a donation this holiday season. Your support helps us continue to provide direct and practical help to renters facing eviction and housing insecurity right now, as we continue to push for better legal protections for renters across Canada over the longer term.  

Please donate today.

Canada’s growing housing crisis has prevented many households, particularly those living on lower incomes, from finding and keeping an adequate, accessible and affordable place to call home. As rents continue to soar and affordable housing options dwindle, it’s crucial to protect the few affordable housing options that are available.

Rent subsidies are a much-needed tool that governments use to help ensure lower-income households can afford a home. However, in Ontario, social housing landlords have the power to revoke a tenant’s subsidy in some circumstances – for example if a person has not provided the correct paperwork. This power held by these landlords is discretionary – meaning that, even if there are grounds to do so, they can choose not to revoke a subsidy. This is an important choice which can have tremendous consequences for households who are living in poverty and who likely do not have the means to secure an affordable home without a subsidy. A household that cannot afford an unsubsidized rent could face eviction due to the inability to pay a higher rent, and their eviction could also lead to homelessness.

Given the potentially catastrophic consequences when a person loses their rent subsidy, the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR) is deeply concerned about an Ottawa Community Housing (OCH) tenant, Charlas Mackenzie, who lost his rent subsidy. In 2019, OCH chose to revoke Mr. Mackenzie’s subsidy because of minor reporting errors. In making its decision, OCH chose not to consider Mr. Mackenzie’s circumstances when deciding whether revoking his subsidy was reasonable or fair, nor whether losing his subsidy would likely render him homeless or separate him from his young children.

Since losing his subsidy, Mr. Mackenzie has appealed OCH’s decision, with no luck in reversing it to date. On September 20, 2022, the Ontario Court of Appeal will hear Mr. MacKenzie’s appeal, and the Court has granted CCHR intervenor status because of our expertise in human rights in housing. This status will allow CCHR to present arguments during the appeal hearing to promote Mr. MacKenzie’s right to housing and the rights of his children. We will assist the Court by arguing that OCH should have exercised its discretion in a way that was consistent with the right to housing and the rights of the child.

Since OCH’s decision to revoke a subsidy will effectively evict Mr. MacKenzie, CCHR will argue that, under the requirements of the right to housing – which Canada recognizes in the National Housing Strategy Act (NHSA) and various international human rights treaties – OCH should have considered whether eviction was a necessary and proportionate response to a minor issue, and whether the issue could have been resolved without resorting to eviction. CCHR will also argue that, under the rights of the child, OCH should have considered the impacts of its decision on Mr. Mackenzie’s children.

The Court’s decision will set an important precedent for households living in social housing across Ontario. We hope that CCHR’s intervention will help establish that social housing must be managed in a way that respects tenants’ human rights.


CCHR’s factum is available here.

CCHR extends many thanks to Jackie Esmond, Aminah Hanif, and Danielle Bisnar of Cavalluzzo LLP for their pro bono representation on this case.


Resources for renters

If you are facing a loss of subsidy issue in Ontario, visit Legal Aid Ontario to find a clinic near you that may be able to help.

If you are facing eviction anywhere in Canada, these resources may be able to help you:

With great enthusiasm we are pleased to announce:

The Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (CERA) will now be known as the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR).

Although our name has changed, our mission has not wavered. Since 1987, our organization has been working to transform lives by advancing the right to housing for all. Over the last 35 years, we have passionately advocated for the people and communities that we serve, guided by our vision of a world where everyone has an adequate, affordable and accessible place to call home. In recent years, we have expanded the work we do to advance systemic change through policy advocacy, research, education and training across Canada.

As we mark this 35-year milestone and look toward the future, we are taking the opportunity to embrace this moment by transitioning our organization’s name so that it better reflects who we are and what we do today. The need for adequate, accessible and affordable housing has never been greater in Canada, and we remain as dedicated as ever to advancing the right to housing of Canadians.

The Canadian Centre for Housing Rights will continue to advocate and work tirelessly for those in greatest housing need across Canada in collaboration with housing advocates, nonprofit organizations, and people with lived experience of housing precarity. As we enter this new era for our organization, we will strive to accomplish our goals in new and expanding ways while staying true to our vision and values. Although our name has changed, our mission will always be to advance the right to housing for all.

It is a privilege to continue serving communities across Canada as we go forward under a new name.

With appreciation,

Annie Hodgins, Executive Director, on behalf of the whole CCHR team.

In this new phase we will work to advance the right to housing across Canada in the following ways:

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