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1. Letter to the Editor, Toronto Star Re: 'Tenant-friendly' buildings get thumbs up (6, Feb. 2010)

   February 9, 2010 - Making sure rental housing is ‘tenant-friendly’ is a great idea whose time has come. Building respect for human rights into the Certified Rental Building Program makes a good program even better. Kudos to the Federation of Rental-Housing Providers; they are setting a standard for quality that will benefit tenants across Ontario – and their new program makes excellent business sense, too.

2. Re: Submission of the Ontario Human Rights Commission on Bill 21, an Act to regulate retirement homes

   May 14, 2010 - The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) supports the regulation of retirement homes across the province. However, we ask the Committee to consider specific recommendations to amend the Bill to enhance the ability of retirement homes providers to meet their obligations under the Ontario Human Rights Code (Code)

3. Adding human rights to the discussion: London’s Draft Official Plan

   Dear Mr. Barrett, As the City of London renews its Official Plan, I am writing to draw some human rights concerns to your attention and make recommendations to help the new plan include and welcome all residents in London’s communities.

4. Re: Provincial Policy Statement, 2005 Review

   October 29, 2010 - Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Provincial Policy Statement, 2005 (PPS) as part of a province-wide effort to consider ways the PPS can be made more effective and responsive to addressing emerging land-use issues in Ontario. Attached is the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s (the OHRC) written submission.

5. Re: Draft new Zoning By-Law

   May 18, 2010 - In September 2009, we raised concerns about the human rights impacts of placing restrictions on housing types which could lead to discrimination against some groups. Many of these concerns have not been resolved by the current draft of the zoning by-law. We strongly encourage the City of Toronto to look again at our September 2009 submission (a copy of which is attached) and our recommendations to resolve the human rights issues.

6. Re: Bill 140, Strong Communities through Affordable Housing Act, 2011

   April 5, 2011 - On behalf of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, I would like to congratulate you on bringing forward Bill 140. The Bill is receiving general support for taking positive steps on oversight, local planning and flexibility for delivery of affordable housing services, as well as for its requirements on municipal zoning laws permitting second unit apartments. However, concerns remain about very long waiting lists for limited availability of affordable housing in Ontario.

7. Letter to the Attorney General regarding Police record checks on potential jurors

   June 4, 2009 - The Ontario Human Rights Commission was concerned to learn this past week about broad police record checks being conducted on some jury pools. While this matter raises important issues around disclosure, impartiality, judicial fairness, privacy, and informed consent, there are also human rights implications for individuals with mental health disabilities under Ontario’s Human Rights Code.

8. Re: Final Report and Statutory Public Meeting on the Draft Zoning By-law (PG10063)

   August 18, 2010 - The Ontario Human Rights Commission has reviewed the Report #PG10063, entitled “Final Report and Statutory Public Meeting on the Draft Zoning By-law", and continues to have concerns that certain elements of the by-law may lead to discrimination contrary to the Ontario Human Rights Code (Code).

9. Re: Applying a human rights lens in zoning, licensing and municipal decision-making

   Dear Colleagues, As new and returning mayors, councillors and elected officials, you play a central role in ensuring that municipal processes and decisions respect the human rights of all community members. The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has worked for several years with governments, experts and community partners to increase human rights compliance in housing, land use and licensing. I’m writing to share some positive developments in these areas, and to point out some OHRC resources that can help you make your community more inclusive.

10. Spreading the message about human rights in housing: you can help!

    June 1, 2011 - At the Ontario Human Rights Commission, we have heard many stories of discrimination in rental housing. Some people face discrimination right at the beginning of their search – in rental housing advertisements. Tenants and advocates have brought a number of these ads to our attention. As a result, we are working with partners in housing and the media to increase awareness of human rights in housing, and find ways to prevent and address discriminatory ads.

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