Housing Law

Open to: 1L, 2L, 3L

Project Summary: 

Students will create Public Legal Education (PLE) resources to make information about joint tenancies accessible to KBCLS’s clients. Research questions include 

• How does the Residential Tenancies Act apply in a joint tenancy situation with multiple roommates all on the same lease signed at the same time? 

• How do joint tenancies affect individuals when they want to leave their lease but other  roommates want to remain?  

• And other questions developed in consultation with KBCLS  

Type: Research

Area(s) of Law: Housing Law, Administrative Law

Community served: Homeless & marginally houses, People living in poverty, People living with disabilities & chronic illnesses

Number of Student Volunteer Positions: 3

Commitment: 3-5 hours/week

Special Requirements: None.

Open to: 1L, 2L

Project Summary

Students will assist with the intake of clients at KBCLS. Students will be trained on the types of law that callers need information on and intake procedures. Students will then provide the callers with legal information, referrals, or gather the information needed to process the intake. ​Staff will be available to assist students.

Type: Client Services 

Area(s) of Law: Housing, Immigration, Social Assistance, Employment Law 

Community served: Homeless & marginally housed, People living in poverty, People living with disabilities & chronic illnesses

Number of Student Volunteer Positions: 8 

Commitment: 4-5 hours/week

Special Requirements: This is an in-person project.

Open to: 1L, 2L

Project Summary

Students will be trained to help individuals fill out tenant applications. Under supervision from a lawyer, students will develop a theory of the case and work with clients to complete applications and gather evidence for their eventual hearings. KBCLS does not represent individuals on these applications. The project exists to ensure tenants have clear and coherent tenant applications with adequate evidence that puts them in the best position to self- represent at the Landlord and Tenant Board. Note that students are not permitted to provide legal advice. ​ 

Type: Client Services

Area(s) of Law: Housing, Administrative Law 

Community served: Homeless & marginally housed, People living in poverty, People living with disabilities and chronic illnesses

Number of Student Volunteer Positions: 10 (two students will be assigned to one client file) 

Commitment: 3-5 hours/week

Special Requirements: This is an in-person project, experience working with vulnerable populations is an asset but not required.

Open to: 1L, 2L

Project Summary

Students will conduct in-depth research into the current “Digital First” approach of Tribunals Ontario. Students will identify how the “digital first” approach has changed legal proceedings at the Landlord and Tenant Board and the Social Benefits Tribunal and the effect of low-income individuals in the catchment area who may lack access to digital infrastructure. The project will also examine LAO budget cuts and how equipped legal clinics are to pick up the slack with lacking digital infrastructure in the catchment. The final result of the research will be

1. A brochure/pocket guide about “digital first” at the Landlord Tenant Board and Social Benefits Tribunal

2. Preparation of PLE materials for navigating “digital first” at the LTB/SBT

3. Potentially giving a workshop about “Digital First” at the LTB/SBT (depending on community partner availability)

4. A blog post about how “Digital First” has affected KBCLS to be published on our socials and presented to our Board.

Type: Research/PLE

Area(s) of Law: Housing, Administrative Law 

Community served: Homeless & marginally housed, People living in poverty, People living with disabilities and chronic illnesses

Number of Student Volunteer Positions: 10 (two students will be assigned to one client file) 

Commitment: 3-5 hours/week

Special Requirements: This is a virtual project with the option of working in person at KBCLS

Open to: 1L, 2L

Project Summary

Students will research rooming houses in Toronto to create Public Legal Education materials. Students will review the Residential Tenancies Act, Landlord and Tenant Board decisions, City of Toronto Council Meetings & Bylaws, and other applicable statutes and government records to determine the current legal landscape of rooming houses in the catchment. The final result of the research will be: 

1. A brochure/pocket guide about rooming houses in the catchment;

2. Preparation of PLE materials for navigating a rooming house lease

3. Potentially giving a workshop about rooming houses (depending on community partner availability); and 

4. A blog post about how the current legal landscape around rooming houses affects KBCLS to be published on our socials and presented to our Board.

Type: Client Services

Area(s) of Law: Housing, Administrative Law 

Community served: Homeless & marginally housed, People living in poverty, People living with disabilities and chronic illnesses

Number of Student Volunteer Positions: 10 (two students will be assigned to one client file) 

Commitment: 3-5 hours/week

Special Requirements: This is a virtual project with the option of working in person at KBCLS

Open to: 1L, 2L

Project Summary

Component 1: Tenant Rights Research

Students will develop public legal education (PLE) materials on tenancy rights based on legislation, case law and more. The ultimate purpose of this is to provide plain language resources to tenants in Ontario so they are educated on their rights with respect to housing. 

Note: Optional opportunity to translate documents depending on the second language capabilities of the students.

Component 2: PLE Resource Drafting 

​Based on the research in Component 1, students will create PLE resources in formats such as: 

• Tip sheets

• Step-by-step checklists 

• Infographics on Tenancy rights / dispute processes 

Note: ​There may be opportunities for more creative ventures such as script writing and video building, but this is not a requirement of the role.​ 

Type: Research & Public Legal Education

Area(s) of Law: Housing & Poverty Law 

Community served: Precariously employed individuals, Seniors, People living with disabilities & chronic illnesses, Newcomers 

Number of Student Volunteer Positions: 3

Commitment: 3-5 hours/week

Special Requirements: None. This is a virtual project.

Open to: 2L, 3L

Project Summary

Students will be tasked with completing and compiling research to create plain language information pamphlets on the topics outlined above. If the students have time and are able to, they may present their research on one of these topics. However, this is optional. The different topics include:

• Divorce and child custody 

• Tenants and landlord rights and responsibilities 

• Spousal abuse and legal proceedings 

• Employment (health and safety, discrimination in the workplace)

Following their completion, these pamphlets will be distributed to ACCTs clients. Each student will select one topic and complete the research and pamphlet for it. If the organization finds that this is too much work for the student, students may pair up and the number of topics can be cut down.

Type: Public Legal Education, Research

Area(s) of Law: Family law and the Residential Tenancies Act

Community served: Immigrants, refugees & newcomers, Linguistic minorities, Racialized communities

Number of Student Volunteer Positions: 1

Commitment: 3-5 hours/week

Special Requirements: 

• The student is expected to work professionally and punctually with good time-management skills. 

• As they will be working remotely, they should maintain good remote communication.

Open to: 1L, 2L, 3L

Project Summary

Demovictions happen when a landlord demolishes the residential complex and/or the rental units therein. In addition to displacing tenant(s), demovictions remove affordable rental units from Toronto. To respond to this problem, DVCLS is exploring ways of advocating for the City of Toronto to create new regulations and policies around demovictions. The student will work with DVCLS’ Housing team to support their advocacy efforts against

demovictions by:

• Conducting research and comparative analysis on other jurisdictions to see if their policies may be applicable to Toronto.

• Monitor and summarize how Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022 affects demovictions. The summary will be used by DVCLS for their own advocacy efforts.

Type: Research

Area(s) of Law: Municipal and Housing Law

Community served: Immigrants, refugees & newcomers, Linguistic minorities, Racialized communities

Number of Student Volunteer Positions: 1

Commitment: 3-5 hours/week

Special Requirements: This is a remote/virtual project.