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Information for Tenants Affected by the Fire at 11 Thorncliffe Park Drive and 21 Overlea Blvd

The following is from Don Valley Community Legal Services (DVCLS). It is information only, not legal advice.
Questions about Insurance

If you have questions regarding your home, condo, or tenant insurance, please contact your insurance company directly.
Please note DVCLS does not practice insurance law, and we do not provide legal advice on real estate law,

Rent Increases – 2026 Guideline

The following is legal information from Steps to Justice. It is not legal advice. If you need further information or need legal advice, please call our Intake Line at 416-441-1764 ext. 1.
The rules about rent increases are complicated. To learn which rules apply, tenants need to know if:

they are covered by the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA)
they have an agreement with their landlord to add extra services or space
their landlord has applied for a rent increase above the annual guideline (AGI)

They also need to know the age of the building or unit that they live in.

Bill 60 Update

November 12, 2025
We are very concerned about the recently proposed Bill 60 by the provincial government. It is currently going through second reading in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
ACTO has created a helpful one pager about Bill 60.
We were pleased to see Toronto City Council address this Bill through item EX27.1 –

The Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP)

The following is legal information and not legal advice. If you need further information or need legal advice, please call our Intake Line at 416-441-1764 ext. 1.
The Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) is commonly referred to as “disability benefits” and it is run by the Ontario Government’s Ministry of Children,

ACTO’s Top 5 Concerns on Bill 60

October 24, 2025
The Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO) is sounding the alarm on Bill 60 (Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025) which threatens to strip away essential tenant protections and weaken Ontario’s housing justice system. ACTO strongly opposes the government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act and the Landlord Tenant Board,

Public engagement on Ontario’s poverty reduction strategy

The Government of Ontario is asking Ontarians to share their experiences, perspectives, challenges, and priorities, to assess the current 2020-2025 poverty reduction strategy and to explore opportunities for the next strategy.
You can provide input in the following ways to help inform next steps and the direction of the strategy:

Complete a survey for individual Ontarians,

Update – Making Sense of IRCC Processing Times

The following is legal information and not legal advice. If you need further information or need legal advice, please call our Intake Line at 416-441-1764 ext. 1.
This information is current as of October 21, 2025.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), is the government department responsible for receiving and processing all applications related to travel,

Basics on How to Start an Application in The Permanent Residence Portal

This information is current as of September 15, 2025.
The purpose of this article is to provide a basic introduction to the internet portal used to apply for permanent residence in Canada, as well as to apply to renew permanent resident cards or permanent resident travel documents (for permanent residents who are outside of Canada).

Call for Board Nominations!

We’re looking for candidates to join our volunteer Board of Directors
Candidates must meet the following requirements:

Must be a member of DVCLS
Must be at least 18 years of age
Must live or work within our catchment area
Commitment to attend Board meetings throughout the year and actively participate on the Board and subcommittees

Our Board members are people who work or live in the communities we serve.

CDCP Dental Coverage – Are You Covered? Don’t Forget to Renew!

By: Kimber-lee Wargalla, Community Outreach Co-Ordinator, Advocacy Centre for the Elderly
The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) is making dental care more affordable for eligible Canadians. If you have not applied yet, or are already enrolled, here’s what you need to know:
WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
✔ You don’t have access to dental insurance
✔ Have filed your tax returns for the previous year
✔ You’re a Canadian resident for tax purposes
✔ Individuals or couples with a net annual income under $70,000 – Full coverage or between $70,000 and $90,000 – Partial coverage
Already receiving dental benefits through a government program?