Toronto ACORN walks Mayor through 500 Dawes Rd to see first-hand the state of repair

TORONTO, ON— With over 86 property standards violations, a RentSafe score bottoming at a whopping 28%, leaky roofs, disrepair, bedbugs, and mould all on top of a structurally unsound parking garage, tenants at 500 Dawes Rd has had enough.

ACORN has been advocating on a municipal level to get the building fixed! After months of pressure, we took Mayor Olivia Chow on walkthrough to finally take a view of things at 500 Dawes Rd. One of the most egregious buildings in Toronto, we hoped that this would lead us one step closer for our “Give RentSafe Teeth” campaign!

The landlord, Carolyn Goodman, has been more than evasive here; she has been taken to court by the City paying only peanuts, some ten thousand dollars. Enshrined in the City of Toronto Act and bylaw, the City actually has the power to do the outstanding repairs on the property taxes of the landlord – remedial action.

Now Mayor Chow is moving motions for remedial action in the wake of the Ombudsperson’s report detailing that Municipal Licensing and Standards (MLS) acted arbitrarily.  She also signed our pledge to prioritize 500 Dawes Rd while making remedial action stronger!