Could you survive on $1,227 where average rent is $2,040?

Plus, Ontario ERs in crisis and Uber's possibly illegal union deal [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Are you one of the 1.8 million Canadians eligible for the new $500 rent subsidy? [Here’s how to find out](. Plus, the latest on barriers to renting on Ontario disability, ERs in crisis and why Uber’s recent union deal may have been illegal. DON’T MISS Andrew Francis Wallace/The Star housing [People on social assistance are being shut out of Toronto’s red-hot rental market]( After two months of searching for a place to live, Tracy Tompkins, 57, is tired. She was evicted from her basement apartment, the landlord claiming he needed storage for his girlfriend’s belongings. She has since submitted six rental applications, but says when she discloses she’s on the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), prospective landlords either ghost her or demand an employment letter. That’s despite her offering a year of rent upfront and her parents being willing to co-sign the lease. And her story isn’t unique. [As the cost of living soars, here’s why tenant advocates believe “we’re seeing discrimination in action.”]( - Wait, what? Until recently, a single person on ODSP received $1,169 a month. That amount increased to $1,227 in September. - By the numbers: In July, the average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the GTA was $2,040 and $2,700 for a two-bedroom. - Context: There are legislative protections under the Human Rights Code that state people cannot be discriminated against when looking for housing, but it’s “extremely difficult to prove,” said the director of a tenant’s advocacy group. Canadian Press/Frank Gunn health care [Ontario’s ER closures represent more than 1,700 hours of patients waiting for urgent care]( More than 80 times this summer, Ontario hospitals have had to close their emergency departments due to staffing shortages. Across 17 hospitals, closures have usually lasted between 12 and 14 hours, but some have shuttered for 24. One closed for three weeks. Still, the provincial government insists Ontario’s health-care system is not in crisis. “I want to be clear, Ontarians continue to have access to the care they need, when they need it,” Premier Doug Ford told reporters on Aug. 3. [Take a closer look at how nurses and patients are feeling the impact](. - More: “I never thought we would see the day where an emergency department would close here in Ontario,” said a 20-year emergency physician and president of the Ontario Medical Association. “We’ve prided ourselves over the years of being … that undeniable, around-the-clock access to care for anyone and everyone.” - Go deeper: Liberal health critic Adil Shamji says the issue signals that primary care clinics are not accessible and people are not able to treat issues before they become acute. - Watch for: Here’s why doctors say [stand-alone surgical centres could help clear wait lists](. Toronto Star File Photo star exclusive [Uber called its recent union deal “historic,” but a new complaint says it was actually against the law]( Under a controversial deal making the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union the “official representative” for Uber drivers and couriers, the UFCW can represent workers in employment disputes, but drivers don’t get the full rights they would as formal union members. The agreement came as advocates pushed to formally unionize and achieve full employment rights. Did Uber “undermine worker organizing” to reach its own goal? [Here’s what we know about a complaint to the provincial labour board arguing Uber broke the law](. - More: Uber denies the allegations and says the company hasn’t violated any labour laws. “We came together with UFCW Canada to find common ground and blaze a new trail towards a better future for app-based workers,” said an Uber Canada spokesperson. - Meanwhile: The Globe and Mail reported last month that UFCW worked with Uber behind the scenes to ensure the government didn’t classify gig workers as employees. - Go deeper: [These are some of Uber’s “cutthroat tactics,”]( as revealed in a trove of 124,000 documents. WHAT ELSE For better or worse, becoming the Conservative leader means [Pierre Poilievre no longer controls the conversation](. [Quebec MP Alain Rayes did the honourable thing by quitting]( Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative party. Police believe the GTA gunman was [“waiting for someone in uniform” for more than two hours before the attack](. Critics are slamming the Ford government’s [“grotesque” plan for long-distance placements in nursing homes](. The first disciplinary charges have been laid against a cop who donated to the Convoy. [Here’s what we know](. Air Canada has been ordered to pay $2,000 to passengers over flight delays — [this is the precedent it could set](. After a two-year search, a new chief of police has been announced. [Meet Myron Demkiw](. Toronto restaurant prices have been climbing for months — [here’s how much more they could grow by year’s end](. [This emotion-stirring, Polaris Prize-nominated debut is an expression of healing]( say the Anishinaabe songwriters. “Now 15 per cent is rude.” [How tipping fatigue is hitting customers as requests rise](. POV Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick [I stepped onto a public stage to advocate for proactive health-care measures — I did not sign up to be harassed and threatened.]( CLOSE-UP Ray Ewing/Vineyard Gazette via AP MARTHA’S VINEYARD: A woman, part of a group of newly-arrived immigrants, holds a child outside a church on Wednesday. Florida said it sent undocumented immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard to fight back against what the state’s Republican governor called the “Biden border crisis.” [Was it actually an act of “human trafficking and kidnapping”?]( Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_144972). Ashley will see you back here tomorrow. [The Star]( If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. 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