Improving the tenant human rights process

The new interim Tenant Human Rights Complaint Procedure is now in place. To learn more, visit Tenant Human Rights Complaints. 

Toronto Community Housing (TCHC) is continuing to move forward on our project to improve the way we receive, investigate and resolve tenant Human Rights concerns. The end result of the project is to develop a centralized, proactive, equity-focused response to tenant Human Rights issues.

Progress Update

May 2024

TCHC held in-person and online tenant human rights consultations from February to April 2024, including meeting with TCHC’s Tenant Advisory Council. The consultations were an opportunity for tenants to share their feedback, suggest solutions, and help improve the human rights system at Toronto Community Housing (TCHC). View the slides from the online session (PDF).  

We asked for tenant feedback on what TCHC could do to improve the following: 

• How we intake or receive accommodation requests
• How we resolve accommodation requests that we receive 
• What type of staff supports and tenant resources should be in place in TCHC’s human rights system. 

Read a summary of the feedback tenants shared during the consultation sessions below or download a copy of the Summary of Tenant Feedback (PDF).

January 2024

The new Interim Tenant Human Rights Complaint Procedure was rolled out on the TCHC website and communicated to tenants. Tenants can now file a human rights complaint about TCHC. To learn more, visit Tenant Human Rights Complaints.

Fall 2023

• TCHC has developed an interim Tenant Human Rights Complaint Procedure in consultation with the Ombudsman. The new interim procedure will be posted on our website and communicated with tenants as soon as possible. Staff training on this new procedure is in progress.    
• TCHC’s interim procedure contains information on how, and to whom, tenants can make a human rights complaint to. It features information on who is responsible for complaints and how tenants can access external supports. The procedure also contains a reconsideration mechanism. The interim procedure also features a framework for staff to document and respond to human rights complaints, including access to increased subject matter expertise.

August 2023

Multiple tenant consultation information sessions were held in the summer. On Thursday, August 3, we held an online consultation and you can view the online session presentation slides (PDF).  Read a summary of the feedback tenants shared during the consultation sessions below or download a copy of the Summary of Tenant Feedback (PDF).

We asked for tenant feedback on the following questions:

• What works in the current Human Rights policy and processes?
• What doesn’t work in the current Human Rights policy and processes?
• What can make the Human Rights policy and processes better?

June 2023

The Ombudsman Toronto published a report titled An Investigation into Toronto Community Housing Corporation’s Tenant Human Rights Complaints Process. This report made several recommendations for TCHC to improve the way in which it receives, investigates and resolves tenant Human Rights complaints. We fully agree with and support the Ombudsman’s findings.  

TCHC has already taken action to begin implementing the Ombudsman’s recommendations:      

• TCHC communicated the Human Rights Review Project to staff (via email) and tenants (via tenant newsletter and public posting of notices). As the project progresses, we will continue to provide updates on this page    
• TCHC’s current human rights policy and procedure are posted on our website.
• In June, we held a series of regional consultations to get tenant feedback.