Olivia Chow committed to nearly everything in surveys from the Toronto Environmental Alliance, tenants group ACORN Toronto and from Cycle Toronto. Bradford didn’t respond to any of the surveys, nor to The Grind
ACORN is calling on Moncton City Council to use its municipal power to proactively enforce health and safety standards in apartment buildings,’ writes Peter Jongeneelen, chair of Moncton ACORN.
What tenants want — and what they don’t:
Three tenant groups who spoke with the Star — ACORN, the Federation of Metro Tenants’ Associations (FMTA), and the Toronto Tenant Union — broadly agreed the most pressing municipal issues for renters are RentSafeTO inspections and enforcement, a maximum heat bylaw and creative solutions to unaffordable rent hikes.
While rent control is legislated by the province, advocates said they want more municipal policies that enforce the Residential Tenancies Act and help tenants, like the renoviction bylaw.
They did not name new market-rate housing — often the focus of different levels of government — as a priority, emphasizing there are limits to how much more supply can help affordability.
It’s the time of year when Nova Scotians are facing the decision of when to top up their oil tanks.
The province announced help to do just that with the launch of the Heating Assistance Rebate Program (HARP).
“Nova Scotians will see that the program that we launched today on Oct. 1 is the same thresholds and same rebate amount as last year,” Service Nova Scotia MLA Jill Balser says.
Families earning a combined net income of up to $45,000 and single-person households earning a net income up to $30,000 are eligible for the $400 rebate.
Recipients of the Guaranteed Income Supplement or income assistance are also eligible.
“It’s definitely beneficial for those that qualify into the program because every little bit helps,” says Marni Yuke, the chief program officer with Souls Harbour Rescue Mission.
But with the skyrocketing price of home heating fuel and the overall cost of living some are asking if $400 enough.
“Any program they put out there is great but realistically it’s a Band-Aid,” Yuke says.
There’s plenty of families with two incomes, both parents are still working and they’re still scraping by and making choices between heating and food,” adds ACORN leader, Miriam Williams.
As colder temperatures approach, some in Nova Scotia are raising concerns over heating costs and questioning the adequacy of the province’s assistance rebate program.
Halifax resident Miriam Williams has previously qualified for the Heating Assistance Rebate Program (HARP), but no longer does because of changing criteria.
“In a word, it’s unacceptable,” said Williams, who is also a leader with the tenant advocacy group, ACORN.
“This is not a handout by any means. This is just something that helps people get by.”
The program, which opened for applications Thursday for this season, offers eligible households up to $400.
With winter heating bills on the horizon, the Nova Scotia government is once again offering a $400 rebate to low-income households, but some say the program is insufficient.
“$400 is not enough to meet the reality households are facing,” said Juli Bishwokarma, an energy co-ordinator with the Ecology Action Centre.
The heating assistance rebate program, or HARP, is open for applications from Oct. 1 to Mar. 31, and the province released details of this winter’s program on Tuesday afternoon.
The parameters remain the same as they were last year — the rebate is available to individuals with a net income no greater than $30,000 and households with a net income no greater than $45,000.
3000
