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Re: Happy Thanksgiving

Posted by Dan McIntyre on 10/12/2009, 6:13 pm, in reply to "Re: Happy Thanksgiving"

I dont think you really understand the code or the intent. I am guessing you are a landlord, so why ask us? Why not contact the OHRC and ask your questions - you obviously found their web site. Or ask the Landlord Self Help Centre or any one of the many people who work for landlords. Perhaps, FRPO can assist you..as to their credit, they endorse the following of the human rights code. I work for tenants, and I abhor prejudice and discrimination. Unfortunately, some landlords (not all) are opposed to the Human Rights Code and they want to practice discrimination. Shame on them. The method for tenant selection is set out in the Residential Tenancy Act and credit history is permitted. Many low income people make ends meet by using food banks and family supports. They pay the rent. If they don't, they will be evicted. Nobody wants to be homeless. It is worse if you are homeless becuase of prejudice. --Previous Message-- : as per the Policy On Human Rights and Rental : Housing by the OHRC : http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/resources/Policies/housing/pdf: : : "It has been and still is a common : practice for landlords to assess prospective : tenants by applying income ratios (e.g., no : more than 30% of a tenant’s income : should be required to pay the rent). This : practice was assessed in Shelter Corp. : v. Ontario151 and found to have a systemic : impact on a range of groups identified : by Code grounds.152 An Ontario human rights : tribunal found that these practices : were not bona fide requirements because they : had no value in predicting : whether a tenant would default on the rent. : The later addition of section 21(3) to : the Code and the enactment of Regulation : 290/98 do not permit landlords to : apply income ratios, as has been clarified : in a later decision of the tribunal.153 : This means that landlords must only assess : whether an applicant has enough : income to pay the rent. They must not assess : whether the balance of an : applicant’s remaining income is adequate for : non-housing related expenses." : : Explain this: : : "THIS MEANS THAT LANDLORDS MUST ONLY : ASSESS WHETHER AN APPLICANT HAS ENOUGH : INCOME TO PAY THE RENT. THEY MUST NOT ASSESS : WHETHER THE BALANCE OF AN : APPLICANT’S REMAINING INCOME IS ADEQUATE FOR : NON-HOUSING RELATED EXPENSES." : : : --Previous Message-- : I am out of here on a personal matter, and : for : the weekend. Happy Thanksgiving to all. I : will not be checking messages or posts. : : It has been a remarkable week. On Monday, : Barbara Hall released a long awaited report : which has the goal of reducing : discrimination in rental housing. : Progressive and well meaning people have : welcomed the report, and even landlord : spokespeople have had good things to say : about it (with understandable reservations). : : Unfortunately, it has brought out the worst : in other people. Instead of looking for : ways to ensure that nobody is denied housing : on the basis of prejudice, people have been : sending me nasty messages on some misguided : belief that they now have to rent to : anybody. The criteria for tenant selection : is set out in the RTA, and landlords are : expected to abide by the human rights code : in tenant selection. You have to have a : good reason to turn down an applicant, not a : prejudicial reason. Someone with an income : of $825 (and no other sources) can't rent an : $825 apartment. : : I quoted a landlord verbatim from another : discussion board. I did not identify that : landlord - or even the discussion board - : and I am hopeful that landlords will : re-examine their policies so that more : people can access housiong that they can pay : for. I also had no intention of picking on : that one landlord, but the remarks seemed to : best capture what I have been hearing. : : I have also re-iterated that Government : needs to be doing more for the hard to house : and for low income people in general. I : understand that landlords are in business : for profit, and that they have a legitimate : concern for their business and their assets. : We can all agree that their needs to be a : fair balancing of interests, although we may : disagree on achieving that balance. : : So instead of intelligent dialogue, and I : certainly don't have all the answers, I see : hatred. I see on another Board, that they : are even giving credence to trolls that used : to get away with posting on this board. They : are even re-posting stuff from the most vile : and un-credible internet source. I wrote to : the people in charge there, to give them : background and information. They claim this : board is over moderated. I say that is : better than letting people violate your own : terms of use. And they continue to re-post : from this Board, even though that violates : their terms of service and our copyright. : : The funny thing is that all this is coming : from small landlords. My work is helping : tenants deal with corporate landlords- to : defend against various applications and to : help tenants understand their rights and : obligations. : : Small landlords do have problems. And we : call on all tenants to honour their : responsibilities. But hating people does not : help any one's cause. And attacking people : who work full time, and take a salary : nowhere near 90K, and who honour their : obligations and contracts - just demeans the : attacker. : : In a free and democratic society, we all : have the right to disagree and to disagree : with the laws. I certainly disagree with : many provisions in tenancy law. We do not : have a right to break those laws. : : We have provided this free board for tenants : to discuss issues, and some times for me to : get information out to the public. : : Peace, happy thanksgiving, and fairness to : all. : : Dan : : : : : : :

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Message Thread: Happy Thanksgiving - Dan McIntyre 10/9/2009, 11:32 am Re: Happy Thanksgiving - lewis 10/9/2009, 7:19 pm Re: Happy Thanksgiving - Dan McIntyre 10/12/2009, 6:13 pm « Back to thread

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