Comments for CERA

Comment on Searching for Barrier-Free Housing by Lily

Lily — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 22:53:17 +0000

Six years ago I as diagnosed with a stroke and have been confined to a wheelchair since, I had to leave the apartment I was in because people didn’t like the chair in the elevator and were abusive! Anyways I ended up homeless sleeping on the streets downtown Toronto, the shelters said my only option was a nursing home! I am on ODSP and do not have a lot of money and barrier free housing when available(which isn’t too often) is so expensive! It is really sad that people through no fault of their own are left homeless or dumped in nursing homes because they need an accessible unit that just isn’t available!

Comment on Helping Hoarders by Ally

Ally — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:35:02 +0000

Thank you for sharing -Is this more common in adults or Youth?Is it more common in men or women?Is Hoarding considered a disabilty and is accomodation available .I am interested in requesting your help with hoarding. in toronto.

Comment on The State of Human Rights Enforcement in Ontario by Theresa

Theresa — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 19:31:12 +0000

I would like to rent out a house that we have in Ottawa. I have Multiple Chemical Sensitivities and I am the landlord, and this is my only source of income that I am able to find and I would like to keep it that way.
Am I able to ask tenants within the lease not to use products that are my triggers, eg. all Febreze cleaning or air spray products, and all Febreze and Gain laundry products.
It is important to me to find tenants that will respect this request as using these products could do me harm, and I would hope to one day be able to move into this home in the near future.
When it comes to Human Rights, what are my rights as a landlord? Can I evict someone if they are using these products and have refused to stop using these products? What are my rights as a landlord to keep a house relatively fragrance-free?

Comment on Stereotyping can go both ways by John

John — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 18:25:52 +0000

Hi Susan – yes, this information does apply to co-ops. Feel free to contact our human rights intake line at 1-800-263-1139 ext. 22.

Comment on Stereotyping can go both ways by Susan Gutmann

Susan Gutmann — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 22:16:03 +0000

Hello I need to ask a question of you: does all of this information or most of it apply as well to the co operative housing sitiuation? I ask this question because I am being discriminated against on grounds of disability, income, single parent, and my daughter has disabilities and although she is an adult she is staying with me currently and they are discriminating against her and also using her as a weapon against me but this is a housing co operative and they have said that they feel they are exempt from human rights legislation across Canada

Comment on Trying to find environmentally safe housing by varda burstyn

varda burstyn — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 19:37:40 +0000

Excellent article and CERA has done some wonderful work in this regard.

Jane’s experience is not atypical. But had a person with a visible disability — wheelchair bound, or sight-impaired, for example — been treated with equivalent hostility, however, there would be forms of recourse for that person that don’t yet exist for the chemically sensitive. even though for such people these are matters of life and death. Attitudes, whether on cigarettes or other disabilities, did not change with education alone. Legislation and enforcement were fundamental in the process. We need all three on chemical sensitivity as well. Thanks to Jane for sharing and thanks to CERA for providing a forum for this discussion, and for its great work.

Comment on Trying to find environmentally safe housing by Chris Brown

Chris Brown — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 12:50:38 +0000

Many thanks to CERA over the past couple of decades on this issue! Housing is a big issue for persons with sensitivities. The abuse of children with consequent learning and behavioural disabilities and the unnecessary killing, by adverse drug reactions, of patients with undiagnosed sensitivities are also important to mention, even if they are outside CERA’s mandate.

Comment on Talking About Money by Nicki

Nicki — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 02:03:08 +0000

I just read a book recently some one gave me called “WHEN-how to alleviate poverty-HELPING-without hurting the poor-HURTS-…and yourself.” by Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert. My eyes were opened when I read this book as it discusses the challenges of people in poverty, it talks about the poverty of being. I see by the way you approached these people you were helping re leave some of this for them. One of my biggest surprise by reading this book was that there are different levels of poverty, the one I most think of are those in third world countries, I was surprised to realize that I to live in poverty, I never thought of it in that way before, my faith has always gotten me through even when we have had nothing, like now that I lost my job. I always have thought that the government needs to have more people that live in poverty because you would be amazed at how far they can stretch the dollar.

Thank you for this post.

Comment on Advocates: Bringing the Law to Life by John

John — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 16:33:58 +0000

Hi Louise – we will advocate on behalf of tenants if it appears that the landlord is in violation of the Human Rights Code. However, not all cases of bad or unfair treatment by a landlord – or co-op – are discrimination under the Code. To fall under the Code, the actions of the housing provider must relate to a prohibited ground of discrimination, such as age, family status, race, disability, receipt of public assistance, etc.

Comment on What’s Next for Toronto Community Housing Corporation? by Doris Power

Doris Power — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 12:12:51 +0000

I am a woman who has lived in “housing” since 1969: OHC, Cityhome & Toronto Community Housing. OHC was responsible for me losing my job with the provincial government when they refused to follow their own policies regarding transfers and plunged a single, sole-support mother onto public assistance. That injustice actually assisted me to be accepted by Cityhome and moved out of a project townhouse and into an individual scatterhome where I lived until a few children moved out and I was forced to move to a smaller scatterhouse due to overhousing. All three houses are within a kilometer of each other in the Riverdale area of Toronto. I have lived in this scatterhouse for some 20 years. Since amalgamation and the takeover of Cityhome by Toronto Community Housing, they have allowed housing stock to deteriorate and ignored tenants’ rights. Yet, I was not only willing to accept this treatment … but was grateful for it, because I am now a senior with limited mobility and I am the caregiver to a son who has Down syndrome and Autism. This is the only home this son can remember and he is known in this community. Two years ago a neighbour showed me my house was listed in the National Post as one that TCHC would put up for sale. This week TCHC has announced they will sell another 22 houses and expect to sell another 47. Real estate agents are harassing me!!!! Seems they know more than I do about which houses have been chosen. I cannot continue to survive with such insecurity. Do you have any idea how much time & energy goes into planning and organizing the life of a disabled adult? My son’s programs are in this area. Because appropriate and affordable activities are difficult to access, I am very active in local organizations. (example: I am Vice-Chair of the east & central Advisory Council with Adapted and Integrated Programs Toronto Parks & Recreation) My son’s life would be at risk in any rent-geared-to-income apartment building! Over the years I was a very active advocate for the poor and the differently-abled. I helped organize some of the first tenant associations in this province, served on committees with Cityhome, was the founding director & helped create the T.C. Douglas Housing Co-Op, worked relief at shelters and in supportive housing, and acted as a traditional Native foster parent for high medical needs children, etc. About fifty years of my life have been devoted to social justice and human rights … and I feel like I’ve been banging my head on a wall for too long! Even though I now require physical assistance myself, I am still the primary caregiver to another adult. To now be faced with homelessness .. or the struggle to recreate a life and community for my son … much less find a safe & appropriate place to live on an income far below the poverty level, I’m afraid is beyond my abilities. I am frankly losing the will to live. I doubt CERA can make a successful case for me with TCHC and the City of Toronto …but I wish CERA good luck in your efforts on behalf of human rights and of tenants and the thousands needing housing!