Housing

Housing in the time of COVID-19

March 27th, 2020 by Safia Lakhani

This article was first published on rabble.ca

The first cases of COVID-19 are suspected to have occurred in Wuhan, China late last year. A few short months later, it has had far reaching and devastating consequences for economies around the world. Along with the loss of regular social contact and increasing uncertainty in employment, some will be at risk of losing access to housing. While several international treaties recognize housing as a human right, few governments have enacted domestic laws that ensure access to adequate housing for all citizens. In the midst of this global pandemic, calls for social distancing and sheltering in place are meaningless without access to shelter. Continue reading “Housing in the time of COVID-19”

Legal issues to keep in mind as we navigate uncharted waters

March 24th, 2020 by Iler Campbell

We are living in very unusual times. While we have adopted a physical distancing policy with many of us working from our home offices, we are very much up and running, ready to serve client needs.

In the last few days, we have been asked a variety of questions that, frankly, are new to us. We know that you are struggling with them too. This article attempts to highlight some of the issues that you may already have faced or may be facing tomorrow. Remember, if or when these issues arise, we are here for you.

We’ve tried to group them according to legal topic. Some of these will relate to you and some not. There is no legal advice in this blog. Just information that might help you know when it’s time to call for assistance. Continue reading “Legal issues to keep in mind as we navigate uncharted waters”

Video: Human Rights & Housing in – An Overview

February 24th, 2020 by Iler Campbell

Video of Celia Chandler’s workshop, Human Rights & Housing in – An Overview, is now online!

If you like, you can also download a copy of the slides here.

At Iler Campbell LLP, we are regularly asked to provide advice on a wide range of human rights and housing issues including: dogs in pet‑free co‑ops; whether a medical note provides enough detail; and if behaviour can justify eviction if it relates to a mental health disability.

In this webinar, Celia Chandler gives an overview of how the Ontario Human Rights Code applies in housing. The goal for the session – to give you better tools to know whether you’ve got an issue that’s worth a call to your lawyer.

Free Legal Workshop – Human Rights & Housing: An Overview

February 5th, 2020 by Iler Campbell

At Iler Campbell LLP, we are regularly asked to provide advice on a wide range of human rights and housing issues including: dogs in pet‑free co‑ops; whether a medical note provides enough detail; and if behaviour can justify eviction if it relates to a mental health disability.

Join Celia Chandler on Feburary 19th at noon for this free one hour webinar where she will give an overview of how the Ontario Human Rights Code applies in housing. The goal for the session – to give you better tools to know whether you’ve got an issue that’s worth a call to your lawyer. Continue reading “Free Legal Workshop – Human Rights & Housing: An Overview”

Legal cannabis enters into debate about where Canadians can smoke

December 21st, 2019 by Celia Chandler

This article was first published on rabble.ca

Most people recognize that people have a right to live their lives so long as they don’t negatively affect their neighbours. But let’s face it — many things that people do have the potential to bug others: too loud music, intense cooking smells, children running around, dogs pooping in the wrong place, too many visitors, too much loud arguing, the list goes on.

Nothing, however, has the potential to irritate neighbours quite as much as cigarette and cannabis smoke. At least that’s our recent observation from our work helping housing providers deal with behaviours that don’t conform to providers’ standards. Add the fact that many people have medical conditions that are worsened by smoke and you’ve got a recipe for neighbourhood conflict.

Continue reading “Legal cannabis enters into debate about where Canadians can smoke”

Video: “Cannabis legalization and policy implementation: what’s next?”

October 18th, 2019 by Iler Campbell

A recording of lawyer Michael Hackl’s presentation on cannabis and housing is now online. You can download a copy of the slideshow here. Workshop description below:

It has now been about a year since recreational cannabis was legalized. Some of the questions and concerns raised by housing providers leading up to that change were hard to answer as there was not yet any guidance from courts or tribunals as to how they would deal with such situations. While there are still issues that have not yet been tested before a court or tribunal, we do know more than we did a year ago. This session discusses some of the developments that have taken place since the legalization of cannabis, how some housing providers are dealing with questions, and what the past year of legalized cannabis means for housing providers moving forward.