Caroling at the Home of Michael Klein – Ontario’s ‘King of Renovictions’

On Wednesday, December 18th ACORN members from across southern Ontario joined York South Weston Tenant Union to carol at Michael Klein’s house – the ‘King of Renovictions.’

ACORN has connected Michael Klein to 24 buildings in 9 cities where tenants are fighting to save their homes from mass renovictions.

A marching band led the crowd in special renoviction themed caroling, with all of us singing along. Toronto ACORN’s Weston Chair, Marcia Stone, spoke about our provincial organizing of 16 ACORN tenant unions in Michael Klein buildings, and on the need for the Ontario government to step in, end renovictions and punish bad actors. Another Toronto ACORN leader from East York, Eastwood Burnett, spoke about the struggle of living in a Michael Klein building and why tenants felt like they had no other option but to show up outside his house:

“Fighting to save our homes is nearly impossible when you don’t have a real way to communicate with the owner of the building. We’ve only been given the contact information for the property manager but they don’t make the decisions – Klein does. There’s no real head office for tenants to go to – the ones listed on corporate records have ranged from units in one of his other apartment buildings to PO boxes to unrelated businesses. When ACORN members from Klein buildings went to the only office building address tenants had been given, the office shut down and refused to let us in so we could meet. ACORN estimates over 700 families are at risk of losing their homes – we’ve tried everything so what other choice do we have?”

Read ACORN’s landlord profile on Michael Klein here.

Help tenants fighting to save their homes for the holidays – send Michael Klein a quick email through our online action.