Amazing turnout for London ACORN Tenant Protections Town Hall!

On Wednesday, April 10th, ACORN members and allies gathered for our long-awaited Tenant Protections Town Hall to discuss tenant issues, ACORN’s demands for tenant protections, progress on these campaigns, and how the community can work together to fight for better tenant protections in London! The room was PACKED with a whopping over 70 attendees, including councillors, ally organizations, and ACORN members from across the city! London City Staff is currently working on drafting a renoviction bylaw to stop the bad-faith evictions happening across the city, so ACORN members are keeping up the pressure to ensure tenants’ needs are prioritized and a bylaw is passed ASAP!

Leaders discussed the issues tenants are facing across the city – renovictions, disrepair, pests, harassment, mismanagement, water and hydro shutoffs, mold and other health hazards, and much more. We heard personal stories from tenants experiencing these issues as well – from Carling-Stoneybrook Chair Jordan Smith sharing the neglect, harassment, and misinformation he experienced with his Landlord, to leader Ilse Grills sharing how she had to move out of her Old Oak Properties apartment to escape the dangerous black mold and other health hazards she experienced there with her Daughter, to leader Sharon Hodgson, who recounted the horrors she and her neighbours have been through due to the mass renovictions, harassment, and bullying happening at the Webster buildings. These tenant testimonies all held a common theme – that change is desperately needed to protect tenants and put a stop to predatory landlord tactics in London!

London ACORN is demanding the City of London implements a renoviction bylaw, landlord licensing, and a tenant defence fund to finally put a stop to these issues people face across the city. Read more about London ACORN’s Tenant Protection Platform here. At the town hall, leaders shared ACORN’s progress on these campaigns, our growth over the past year, how we’re working to ensure tenant issues are prioritised at City Hall, excitement for the drafting of a renoviction bylaw in London, and how tenants can get more involved in the work ACORN is doing to fight for change!

Big thanks to Hamilton ACORN who joined us at the Town Hall to discuss the process for how their members fought for and WON a strong renoviction bylaw in Hamilton, the hurdles they had to overcome to get a strong bylaw, and feedback for London councillors on budget costs and details to ensure we get a similarly strong bylaw here in London! Check out Hamilton ACORN’s presentation from the Town Hall here.

Deputy-Mayor Shawn Lewis and Councillor Sam Trosow both spoke at the town hall as well: Councillor Trosow shared the Mayor’s greeting and expressed his support for ACORN’s work and the importance of collective work on resolving tenants’ issues; while Deputy-Mayor Lewis gave more information on the timeline for London’s renoviction bylaw and the City’s increase in funds to bylaw enforcement officers to help tackle more apartment inspections and respond to tenant complaints.

Huge shoutout to ALL the leaders who came together to make this event such a success! This amazing event was only possible due to the hard work that everyone put in to coordinate canvassing, table at events, organize call parties, plan the agenda at committee meetings, create materials and SO much more. Thanks to everyone for all your hard work!!

Next up – action time! We invite everyone who joined us for the Town Hall to come out to ACORN’s Mock Funeral for Affordable Housing happening Thursday, April 18th at 11AM starting at Meredith Park (424 Nelson St)!