B’nai Brith Canada Accused of Excluding Non-Jewish Tenants from Toronto Housing

The agents said the policy had recently become “mandatory” and instructed the caller to look for another facility. BB’s website does not mention any religious restriction, and the organization has not responded to requests for comment.

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BB describes itself as “the country’s oldest human-rights organization” and has operated affordable-housing projects since 1979. The three Toronto properties—two senior buildings and one family building—are part of the city’s rent-geared-to-income (RGI) program. Unlike some Toronto housing providers that hold a municipal “mandate” to serve a specific ethnic or religious group (e.g., the Hellenic Home for the Aged), BB’s buildings have no such city-issued mandate.

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The Ontario Human Rights Code prohibits discrimination on the basis of “ethnic origin” and “creed” in housing, though limited exceptions exist when a municipal mandate is in place. BB’s senior buildings are listed only under the general “housing for seniors” category.

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• Units: Approximately 259 RGI units and 88 market-rent units across the three buildings.

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• Government Funding (1990-2024): More than $30 million in combined federal, provincial and municipal grants to the two senior-building charities, plus additional federal grants to the family building since 2019, according to Canada Revenue Agency data.

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• City of Toronto: Confirmed that none of BB’s buildings carry a mandate to house only Jewish residents and reiterated that all housing providers must comply with the Residential Tenancies Act and the Human Rights Code.

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• BB and Greenwin Non-Response: Both organizations have not replied to inquiries about whether a policy of rejecting non-Jewish applicants exists, when it began, or its legal basis.

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• Public Messaging vs. Agent Statements: BB’s website and its housing program description make no mention of a Jewish-only policy, yet Greenwin agents explicitly conveyed such a restriction to callers.

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• Lack of Municipal Mandate: City records show no mandate for BB’s buildings to serve a specific religious group, contrasting with the agents’ claims of a landlord-driven policy.

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• Unanswered Inquiries: Requests to BB, Greenwin, the Ontario Human Rights Commission, the Landlord and Tenant Board, and federal and provincial housing ministries have not yielded explanations, leaving the legal basis of the alleged practice unclear.

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• “So you need to find another facility for seniors.” — Jewish caller

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• “In a press release about the submission, then BB CEO Michael Mostyn stated, “We strongly recommend that the Government of Canada partner with non-profit and charitable organizations such as B’nai Brith to create a federally supported rental property acquisition fund.” — BB CEO Michael Mostyn

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