Housing Oversight

“The creation of the housing unit is a critical step toward the City realizing the human right to housing, where all people have access to a home that is safe, secure, and affordable.”
– Reema Patel, Deputy Ombudsman (Housing)

Our housing unit is a dedicated team overseeing the fairness of the City of Toronto’s housing policies and programs. As a part of that work, the unit:

Conducts systems reviews and systemic investigations into the planning and delivery of Toronto’s housing services and programs
Monitors the implementation of the City’s housing policy from a human rights and fairness perspective
Engages meaningfully with individuals and communities facing housing precarity.

The unit reports to the Ombudsman and is led by a Deputy Ombudsman, Housing.

Any investigation from this unit is brought to City Council for consideration, and related findings and recommendations are made public. In addition, we also make public a summary of all housing-related complaints handled by the unit, as part of our annual reporting to Council.

Housing Updates from Ombudsman Toronto

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Reflecting on the first five months of the Housing Unit

Reema Patel, Ombudsman Toronto's first Deputy Ombudsman (Housing), reflects on the new housing unit's initial five months: "As we close out 2023 and look ahead to the work of the Housing Unit next year, I am buoyed by the momentum that we’ve built in such a short period of time—we have only just gotten started."

Ombudsman to investigate City decision to deny shelter access to refugee claimants & asylum seekers

Toronto's Ombudsman Kwame Addo has launched an investigation into how the City of Toronto has responded to refugee claimants and asylum seekers looking for space in the City’s shelter system since May 31, 2023.

Toronto’s First Deputy Ombudsman (Housing) to Tackle Systemic Barriers to Housing

Ombudsman Kwame Addo today announced that Reema Patel will be Toronto's first Deputy Ombudsman (Housing). Leading a new housing unit at Ombudsman Toronto, Patel will oversee the fairness of the City of Toronto's housing policies and programs.