Category Archives: News

On October 15, 2020, a judge ruled in favour of a coalition including HALCO, finding that the City of Toronto failed to comply with its commitment under a binding settlement agreement  to ensure physical distancing in Toronto homeless shelters during … Continue reading →

The government of Canada has expanded the Employment Insurance (EI) Program, and introduced three new benefits in response to COVID-19 for those who are not eligible for Employment Insurance. General information about the changes can be found here. A chart … Continue reading →

On June 5, 2020, the federal government announced that some people with disabilities will receive a one-time tax-free payment of up to $600. According to the federal government’s webpage, eligible clients will start receiving this payment on October 30, 2020. … Continue reading →

On September 29, 2020, a coalition including HALCO announced that the City is not meeting its obligations under a binding settlement agreement to ensure homeless shelters meet physical distancing standards. As a result, the coalition is taking the city back … Continue reading →

Up until August 31, 2020, the province of Ontario is offering direct one-time funding to support children’s learning. Eligible parents/guardians/caregivers will receive a one-time payment, per child, of: $200 for children aged 0 to 12 $250 for children or youth … Continue reading →

On July 16, 2020, a coalition, including HALCO, launched an urgent court application challenging the Government of Ontario’s decision to share with police the personal information of Ontarians who test positive for COVID-19. Since commencing the lawsuit, the Ontario government … Continue reading →

On February 12, 2020, a coalition including HALCO intervened in “R. v. N.G.” at the Court of Appeal for Ontario. The case involved a young man living with HIV appealing convictions for aggravated sexual assault for not disclosing his HIV-positive status before sexual … Continue reading →

We wish to thank our friends at the Low Income Energy Network (LIEN) for the following information: On June 1, 2020, the Government of Ontario confirmed that it is making $9 million available for the COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program (CEAP), … Continue reading →

The COVID-19 pandemic eviction ban is being lifted in Ontario on August 4, 2020. This means that evictions can once again take place in Ontario. There remains a process for evictions, but for most evictions that process is now different … Continue reading →

On July 23, 2020, a coalition including HALCO called for a federal directive requiring prosecutors to refrain from enforcing criminal laws relating to sex work. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed stark health inequities and the many structural factors that … Continue reading →