Stoney Creek ACORN Put Landlords in Park with The State of Parkades Tour!
Posted December 9, 2024
On a big Day of Action for parking, Stoney Creek ACORN members came together to make some noise during the “State of Parkades Tour.” At this AMAZING action, we launched a report based on a survey with 280 tenant respondents about parking issues in the Riverdale West neighbourhood, and one thing was clear: Riverdale landlords are NOT making the grade when it comes to parking facilities!
Tenants are getting price-gouged on top of unaffordable rents for parking facilities that are unsecured, in poor repair, and often provide no guarantee of parking anyways!
After kicking off the tour with a readout of the report highlights, members marched to the first tour stop.
Stop 1: 2520 Barton St E
At the first stop, members confronted building ownership head-on during a site inspection. Tenants here have been shelling out an average of $80 a month to park at a nearby grocery store because there’s no proper parking available due to ongoing construction for the past FIVE YEARS! Tenants made it clear that they’ve had enough and demanded real solutions, and handed the owners our demands directly!
Stop 2: 40 Grandville Ave
The second stop was 40 Grandville Ave, where members delivered a demand letter to management. Tenants have been slapped with parking fines, even though parkade construction left them with nowhere else to park. The message was clear: stop punishing tenants for something they can’t control. The show of solidarity here sent a strong warning to management—tenants won’t stay quiet!
Stop 3: 50 Jerome Crescent
The final stop was 50 Jerome Crescent, where tenants are frustrated with the lack of accessible parking and the closure of building amenities despite no reduction in rent. We crowded the building lobby and handed management a demand letter, laying out our concerns. Our action paid off—management agreed to meet with tenant leaders to talk through solutions. Organizing is how we get wins!
This is just the beginning. Stoney Creek ACORN and Riverdale tenants have made it clear: we need affordable neighborhoods where low income tenants aren’t car-dependent! We need better access to transit, walking, and cycling infrastructure in order to make Stoney Creek landlords think twice about using parking facilities as profit machines.
Check the report here