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Safer Communities & Neighbourhoods Legislation

Bill 106, or the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act (SCAN) would enable municipalities to appoint a Director of Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods that will accept confidential allegations of unsafe or illegal activities occurring on or near specific properties. The SCAN Director has sweeping powers to conduct surveillance of accused tenants and homeowners. The Director can then apply to Superior Court to evict the tenant or close the property for up to 90 days through a ‘Community Safety Order’. Both tenants and homeowners can be made homeless.

SCAN will make evictions faster and easier by disregarding the rights of tenants to fully answer allegations made against them. Tenants will be given notice of the process, but do not have the same rights as homeowners who are the subject of SCAN investigations.

Racialized community members, people with mental health issues and other groups protected under the Human Rights Code will likely be over-investigated by SCAN, given the public’s misperceptions about crime and criminals. Women and children may face homelessness based on allegations made against their partners or other males in the household. Social housing and addiction treatment clinics already face not-in-my backyard opposition. SCAN gives such discriminatory opposition a tool to push people out of their community.

SCAN will have serious impacts on the rights of tenants and fails to address concerns of community safety. Public dollars are better spent to address the lack of decent, accessible, affordable and supportive housing in Ontario.