By Shevaun Pierre, Paralegal at BLAC

On April 9, 2026, BLAC made a deputation to the City of Toronto Economic and Community Development Committee in support of a motion to address evictions in social housing through race-based data. The motion, brought forward by the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Advisory Committee (CABRAC), responds to a growing housing crisis that continues to disproportionately impact Black tenants.

Key recommendations include:

• A temporary eviction moratorium
• Collecting race-based data on evictions
• Stronger rehousing supports
• Prioritizing housing stability for Black, Indigenous, and racialized tenants

In its submission, BLAC highlighted a sharp rise in eviction cases in Toronto social housing and a troubling increase in “combined evictions,” in which tenants receive multiple Notices for rent arrears, together with Notices alleging safety issues, illegal acts, and other property-maintenance concerns.  The effect of these combined eviction Notices is that, even if the tenant pays the rent arrears, the housing provider proceeds before the Landlord and Tenant Board to seek an eviction order on the basis of the other Notices. These patterns reflect a broader reality: anti-Black racism in housing is systemic and ongoing. Despite acknowledgment by these social housing institutions, current policies continue to cause harm.

Adequate housing is a fundamental human right. BLAC is calling for immediate, concrete action to prevent evictions and ensure fair access to stable housing. The motion was deferred by the Committee. BLAC will continue to monitor and advocate for meaningful change.

By Zainab Adewusi, Staff Lawyer at BLAC

On April 21, 2026, the Divisional Court released its decision in Lydia Dosu v Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario & York University, a case where BLAC participated as an intervener.

This case highlights the significant ruling on procedural fairness at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO). It is especially important for self-represented applicants navigating the Tribunal’s increasingly common practice of the combination of summary and preliminary hearing. This process can be confusing and, as this decision confirms, potentially unfair if not clearly structured.

The Court allowed the application for judicial review, set aside both the interim and reconsideration decisions, and remitted the matter back to the HRTO for redetermination.

Background

The HRTO combined two distinct procedural steps into a single hearing, a summary hearing where oral evidence is generally not permitted, and a preliminary hearing on delay which focuses on whether an application should be dismissed for being late.

This procedural overlap created confusion about what evidence could be presented and for what purpose. Ms. Dosu understood, based on the Tribunal’s direction, that she could not call witnesses at the summary hearing, and any oral evidence at the delay hearing would be limited to good faith and prejudice. As a result, she did not lead evidence on the merits of her underlying discrimination allegations.

However, the HRTO later relied on the absence of such evidence to conclude that there was no factual basis to support her claim.

The Court’s Findings

Firstly, that procedural fairness was breached and that the Tribunal’s directions did not clearly communicate the strength of the underlying allegations that would be assessed and the applicant needed to adduce evidence on those issues at the hearing.

The Court stated at para 48:

“I find this manner of proceeding was procedurally unfair to Ms. Dosu. Had the case assessment direction not advised that the delay hearing was limited to the issues of good faith and prejudice but would include an assessment of the strength of her timely allegations, she may have elected to call evidence on the subject.”

In other words and to put plainly, the rules of the game were not clearly explained and the applicant was penalized for it.

Secondly, the decision was unreasonable and internally incoherent. Despite concluding that there was insufficient evidence to support the allegations, the Tribunal had structured the hearing in a way that discouraged or limited that very evidence and failed to reconcile how the applicant could reasonably have provided it.

This decision reinforces that fairness must be at the centre of how human rights cases are handled.

Read full decision here 

By Sanjay Campbell, PhD Community Legal Worker at BLAC

Tenants at 500 Dawes Road spent years living in unsafe and deteriorating conditions while their landlord failed to comply with more than 170 property standards orders. Only recently did the City step in to carry out urgent repairs and recover the costs through a lien on the property.

This moment shows that the City has the tools to act when landlords fail to meet their responsibilities. It also highlights a deeper issue. For many Black tenants, unsafe housing conditions are allowed to persist for far too long before meaningful action is taken.

By the time enforcement happens, the harm has already been felt. Families live with stress, health risks, and uncertainty, all while waiting for systems to respond. These delays are not just administrative, they reflect how unevenly protection is experienced across communities.

What is needed now is consistency. If the City can step in to protect tenants at 500 Dawes Road, it can do the same in other buildings where tenants are still waiting. Housing is a human right, and that right must be upheld in practice, not just in policy.

By Sanjay Campbell, PhD Community Legal Worker at BLAC

Legal Aid Ontario released its Racialized Communities Strategy 2026 Action Plan, focused on reducing barriers faced by Black clients in the justice system.The plan aims to improve access to legal services and better respond to the needs of Black communities across areas such as housing, income support, and criminal law. As a Legal Aid Ontario–funded clinic, BLAC recognizes the importance of this work and the role it can play in advancing more equitable access to justice.

We look forward to seeing how these commitments translate into meaningful support for Black communities.

Read full Strategic Plan 

The Black Legal Action Centre participated in a meeting with Durham Regional Police leadership to discuss the experiences of racialized lawyers in the Durham Region courthouses.

The meeting brought together legal organizations, including the Black Female Lawyers Network, Canadian Association of Black Lawyers, Criminal Lawyers’ Association, Durham Region Law Association, and the Ontario Association of Black Paralegals.

Discussions focused on courthouse security practices, access and identification protocols, and interactions between police and legal professionals. The meeting also created space to raise broader concerns about consistency, communication, and the experiences of racialized lawyers within courthouse environments.

Courthouses are workplaces for many legal professionals and should reflect the communities they serve. In Ajax, where 16.8% of residents identify as Black according to the 2021 Census, ensuring that Black legal professionals are both safe and treated fairly is essential to an equitable justice system.This engagement marks an important step toward ongoing dialogue and collaboration aimed at improving how courthouse spaces function for all justice system participants.

The Black Legal Action Centre continues its collaboration with Law in Action Within Schools (LAWS), an education and engagement program that supports high school students facing barriers to postsecondary education.

LAWS introduces students to legal thinking and the justice system through workshops, mentorship, and employment opportunities, helping to build pathways into the legal profession.

The program is underway again this summer, continuing its work to expand access and support the next generation of legal professionals.

The Black Legal Action Centre continues its collaboration with Law in Action Within Schools (LAWS), an education and engagement program that supports high school students facing barriers to postsecondary education.

LAWS introduces students to legal thinking and the justice system through workshops, mentorship, and employment opportunities, helping to build pathways into the legal profession.

The program is underway again this summer, continuing its work to expand access and support the next generation of legal professionals.

Please feel free to share our news with your friends and family, and reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns. To learn more about our work, visit our website or follow us on social media