Housing Crisis in Ontario Quiz

Housing Crisis in Ontario

• Social housing waitlists are incredibly long, with approximately 168,546 households on waitlists in 2020.
• The average wait for social housing is well over 10 years.
• Social assistance programs like OW and ODSP aren't enough to cover market rents.
• For a single person, OW provides 733andODSPprovides733 and ODSP provides 733andODSPprovides1368. For a family of four, OW provides 1517andODSPprovides1517 and ODSP provides 1517andODSPprovides2488.
• Average new rental costs are around 2400,andaverageaskingrentforaroommateisaround2400, and average asking rent for a roommate is around 2400,andaverageaskingrentforaroommateisaround1100.

The Housing Crisis: Marginalized Communities

• The housing crisis disproportionately impacts marginalized and racialized communities.
• According to a 2019 report, over 50% of people of color households in Canada live in unaffordable, inadequate and unsuitable housing.
• The same report found that 41.5% of on-reserve First Nations households required major renovations in 2011, compared to only 7% of non-Indigenous households.
• A recent study found that 80% of immigrants live in rental housing.

The Housing Crisis: Eviction

• About 6.6% of Canadian renters are evicted every five years.

The Current Legal System

• Laws:
  • Residential Tenancies Act
  • Human Rights Code
  • Municipal Bylaws
  • Building Code
  • Fire Code
• Complaints:
  • Landlord Tenant Board
  • Rental Housing Enforcement Unit
  • Human Rights Tribunal
  • Bylaw Enforcement
  • Fire Marshall

Getting Help to Navigate the Legal System

• Organizations:
  • Canadian Centre for Housing Rights
  • Local Legal Clinic
  • Pro Bono Ontario
  • Law Society of Ontario Referral Service
  • Steps to Justice
  • Landlord and Tenant Board

Specific Renter's Rights

• Applying for a Rental:
  • Sharing a kitchen or bathroom with a landlord is risky.
  • Landlords should only ask for first and last month's rent, and a key deposit.
  • Landlords can't discriminate against you based on protected grounds under the Human Rights Code.
• Maintenance:
  • Landlords must fix things in a reasonable amount of time.
  • Landlords have responsibilities regarding heat depending on the time of year.
  • Landlords should follow local noise bylaws.
• Limits on Rent Increases:
  • Landlords can only raise rent once a year with 90 days’ notice.
  • Rent increases are capped at 2.5% per year unless the rental unit is in a new building (occupied after November 15, 2018).
• Privacy:
  • Landlords must give 24 hours' written notice before entering a rental unit.
  • Landlords must have a reasonable purpose for entering.
  • Landlords cannot control who visits your apartment.
• Discrimination:
  • Landlords cannot treat tenants badly based on their race, sex, religion, disability, etc.
  • Landlords should not allow other tenants to discriminate against you based on protected grounds.
  • Landlords are required to assist tenants with reasonable accommodations related to human rights needs.
• Leaving a Rental:
• Most leases are "locked in" for the first year, meaning tenants who leave during that period may have to pay the landlord something.
• After the first year, leases automatically become month-to-month leases.
• It is easier for tenants to leave a month-to-month lease.

Applying for a Rental: Takeaways

• Use a renter cover letter.
• Know the rules.
• If you have paid for something you didn't need to, see if you can get it back.
• Get help.