Publications

This update includes legal information. If you would like to speak to a lawyer, you can find information about HALCO, the HIV Legal Network, and other legal services here: www.halco.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Legal-Services-in-Canada_April-14-2026.pdf HIV testing during Immigration Medical Exams Some people applying to come to or stay in Canada are required to have an Immigration Medical Exam (IME), … Read more

This page provides an overview of Ontario municipalities where publicly accessible shelter standards, guidelines, or related policies were identified. The information is based on publicly available documents and resources and may not capture internal policies, funding agreements, or operational standards that are not publicly posted. If your municipality is not included, it may be because … Read more

August 26, 2026 The Honourable Marjorie Michel, P.C., M.P. Minister of Health cc The Right Honourable Mark Carney, P.C., M.P. Prime Minister of Canada The Honourable Rechie Valdez, P.C., M.P. Minister of Women and Gender Equality Civil Society Organizations Urge Ongoing Support for the Community Action Fund and the Harm Reduction Fund Dear Minister Michel, … Read more

This letter was sent to Ontario’s Big City Mayors to express grave concern with the organization’s August 16 announcement encouraging the Ontario government to allow for involuntary medical treatment.  August 20, 2026 Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, Chair Angela Trewartha, Executive Director (Acting) Re: Response to Reaction to Recovery Campaign Dear Representatives of Ontario’s Big City Mayors, … Read more

This webinar from February 24, 2026 looks at harm reduction in Canadian prisons through lived experience, frontline, clinical, legal, and institutional perspectives.

Hosted by the HIV Legal Network on February 12, 2026, this webinar examines the current political, legal, and social barriers to supervised consumption in Canada and how to push back.

Unhoused people and people who use drugs have rights like all other people in Canada. However, Ontario’s Safer Municipalities Act, 2025 (SMA) introduced new rules that give law enforcement, including some provincial offences officers, more powers to police drug use in public spaces. There are two parts to this law. Schedule 1 covers the public … Read more

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If you have experienced gender-based violence (GBV) and use drugs, you may face extra barriers when trying to access shelter. GBV and drug use are interconnected. Women, trans, and gender-diverse people who experience violence are more likely to use drugs, and those who use drugs are more likely to face violence. Yet, many who use … Read more

If you are living in a shelter with your children, you may encounter family policing services — commonly called “Children’s Aid Societies” (CAS) or “Family and Children’s Services” (FCS). This can happen suddenly, without your knowledge or an explanation. Knowing your rights can help you feel more prepared and better able to protect yourself and … Read more