Our Publications

HALCO produces a variety of publications, including our HALCO news newsletter. You can click on the publication title or link to view a document.  Most documents are posted in PDF/pdf format – scroll down for a link to download the free Adobe Reader® to be able to access PDF/pdf documents.

For information about our law reform activities, including submissions, etc., please visit our Law Reform section.  For our Annual Reports and Strategic Plan, please visit our About Us page.

Remember:

  • These publications are for general information only and are not legal advice.
  • The law and policies/practices can change.
  • Each situation is different so if you have a question or problem, we recommend that you get legal advice about your situation:

If you would like print copies or alternate formats, or if you have difficulty accessing anything on our website, please contact us.

If you would like to include our publications on your organization’s website, please link to our site rather than loading our pdf onto your site – it will help to ensure that you always have the most up-to-date version.

If you are living with HIV in Ontario, please contact us for free legal advice.

HALCO newsletters

You can find our newsletters on our the Newsletters page of our website: www.halco.org/our-services/our-publications/halco-newsletters.

Ontario government reverses some changes that were planned for Ontario Disability Support Program and Ontario Works

In October 2019, HALCO welcomed the government of Ontario decision to reverse two of the changes that had been announced for the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) and Ontario Works (OW):

  • ODSP/OW Transition Child Benefit (TCB) will continue
  • changes to the treatment of earned income are cancelled

The planned increases to the earned income exemption would have been welcome, but the increase of the earned income clawback from 50% to 75% was not. You can find more information, including a printable pdf, on our website: https://www.halco.org/2019/news/sa-changes-2019oct.

Changes to Social Assistance in Ontario – Important ODSP/OW Update (2019July)

In November 2018, we reported on the government of Ontario’s announcement of a new direction for social assistance (https://www.halco.org/2018/news/odsp-update2018nov). The proposed changes relate to Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).

We have prepared a Changes to Social Assistance in Ontario – Important ODSP/OW Update info sheet to provide information about:

  • changes to how earned income is treated and when the earned income changes will take effect (November 2019 for OW and January 2020 for ODSP). As noted above, this change was reversed by the government in October 2019.
  • Transition Child Benefit will end in November 2019. As noted above, this change was reversed by the government in October 2019.
  • some overpayments will now be recovered at 10%.

This info sheet also provides information about:

  • what people can do now.
  • the Addiction Services Initiative ending in July 2019.

The info sheet is available on our website as a printable pdf:  https://www.halco.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/ODSP-update-2019July-R.pdf.

HIV and the criminal law

We are pleased to provide this factsheet and update:

Ontario Social Assistance Review – Important ODSP Update (2018November)

On November 22, 2018, the province of Ontario announced a new direction for social assistance in Ontario. The proposed changes relate to Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), but this update focuses on ODSP. While the government provided few details, and while we welcome additional employment and other supports that were included in the announcement, this update highlights three particular areas of concern for people living with HIV and other disabilities.  The update is available in our website What’s New post and as a printable pdf on our website:  https://www.halco.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/ODSP-update-2018Nov.pdf

Legal Problems Facing Trans People in Ontario / Problèmes juridiques rencontrés par les personnes trans en Ontario

We are pleased to announce Legal Problems Facing Trans People in Ontario / Problèmes juridiques rencontrés par les personnes trans en Ontario, the first report emanating from the research project entitled TRANSforming JUSTICE: Trans Legal Needs Assessment Ontario / TRANSformer la JUSTICE Évaluation des besoins juridiques trans en Ontario (TFJ):

For more information about TRANSforming JUSTICE / TRANSformer la JUSTICE (TFJ), please visit the TFJ page of our website:  www.halco.org/our-services/trans-legal-needs-assessment-ontario.

Criminalization of HIV non-disclosure – Information and Updates info sheet

This info sheet includes information about recent developments, as well as information about HALCO free legal services for people living with HIV in Ontario and our public legal education workshops:  www.halco.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/HALCO_Criminalization-Update2017Mar.pdf.

Important Change to HIV Testing and Reporting in Ontario

The reporting regulation under the Health Protection and Promotion Act (HPPA) has changed.  For more information, please see our:

Guide:  Women living with HIV and intimate partner violence: Questions & Answers / Femmes vivant avec le VIH et violence au sein d’une relation intime : Questions et Réponses

This guide is for women, including trans women, who are living with HIV and who experience or are at risk of experiencing violence from their intimate partner. Intimate partner violence can be physical, emotional, psychological or sexual abuse from someone with whom you have or had an intimate relationship. Abuse by an intimate partner is not only wrong — it can be against the law. The guide was written in 2016 – please see HIV and the Criminal Law in Canada for more current information about HIV disclosure: https://www.halco.org/2018/news/crim-updates2018dec.

The guide is available on our website:

(It can be printed in booklet format in Adobe Reader or Acrobat.)

The guide is available in Spanish and Swahili on the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network website:  www.aidslaw.ca/site/women-living-with-hiv-and-intimate-partner-violence-questions-and-answers/?lang=en.  The guide was produced by HALCO, the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, METRAC and the AIDS Committee of Toronto.

If you are living with HIV in Ontario, please contact us for free legal advice.

HALCO pamphlet cover image 2019HALCO information pamphlet

Our HALCO information pamphlet is available in print and on-line. Almost everything that you might want to know about HALCO is in one pamphlet.  You can view our HALCO pamphlet on-line: https://www.halco.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/HALCO_pamphlet.pdf.  Please contact us if you would like to request print copies of our pamphlet.

I owe money / Je dois de l’argent guide

(November 2013)

Our consumer debt guide for people in Ontario includes information about debt, collection agencies, bankruptcy, being sued in court, resources, getting legal help, and more.

The guide is available in pdf in English and French on our website:

HIV disclosure: A legal guide for gay men in Canada / Dévoilement du VIH: guide d’information sur le droit pour les hommes gais en Canada

The guide was  last updated in 2013 – please see HIV and the Criminal Law in Canada for more recent information about HIV disclosure: https://www.halco.org/2018/news/crim-updates2018dec.

The guide, written for gay men with HIV in Canada, offers information about HIV disclosure and Canadian criminal law. It also has information about disclosure and other areas of the law, such as public health, privacy, employment, travel and immigration. The guide provides resources and contacts for more information.

You can download the guide as a pdf (on our website):

Planning for illness: legal information for people living with HIV in Ontario / Planification en cas de maladie : renseignements juridiques à l’intention des personnes vivant avec le VIH en Ontario

HALCO and the African and Caribbean Council on HIV /AIDS in Ontario (ACCHO) produced a public legal education resource for people in Ontario:

Topics in the booklet include:  powers of attorney, wills, planning for your children, your home, benefits, resources, services and more.  Print copies may be ordered from CATIE:  416-203-7122 or toll-free 1-800-263-1638, www.catie.ca.

HALCO Annual Reports and Stategic Plans

Our Annual Reports include information about our people, our legal work, our law reform, our financial reports, our funding and more. Our Strategic Plans help guide our services.  You can find our Annual Reports and Strategic Plans on the About Us page of our website.

Adobe Reader® for PDF/pdf

Adobe Reader® software is free software you can download for viewing and printing PDF/pdf documents.  You can download Adobe Reader® from the Adobe® website:

http://get.adobe.com/reader/