Progress on Rental Replacement Policy in Brampton!

On Monday July 8, the city of Brampton had a Planning and Development Committee meeting. During this meeting, city staff were directed to finalize previous work on the rental unit replacement policy, develop a supporting by-law to regulate the conversion and demolition of rental properties, hold a statutory public meeting with respect to the proposed by-law, and report back to Council prior to the end of 2024. Peel ACORN leaders and 507 Balmoral Dr members are very excited! This is a huge step forward and a direct result of Peel ACORN’s organizing at 507 Balmoral Dr, across the city and protesting demovictions at Brampton City Hall. Ultimately, Peel ACORN wants a rental replacement bylaw similar to that of Toronto, Hamilton, Kitchener, Oakville and Mississauga which includes:

• Any time a developer is going to demolish affordable housing, those affordable units must be replaced in the new development
• Replacement units need to be offered back to existing tenants at the same rent (with allowable provincial increases)
• Temporary accommodations or rental top ups for affected tenants until the replacement units are ready
• Moving costs need to be covered.
• Tenant outreach to advice tenants about their rights

Next steps will include arranging meetings with city councillors and Peel ACORN leaders to discuss this campaign further and future actions – Stay tuned!