Toronto ACORN’s Rent Grant Victory!

Posted May 28, 2021

Thousands of tenants in Toronto are behind on rent and at risk of eviction, which is why Toronto ACORN members have been fighting for rent relief for tenants, and targeting all levels of Government.

While Trudeau and Ford have done their best to ignore the problem, we managed to push John Tory and secured a victory for tenants in need of rent relief!

Here are the main highlights of the new program:

• The loans for clients who applied after April 1, 2020 are converted into grants. All Rent Bank applications processed during the COVID-19 pandemic (April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2022) are grants and will not require re-payment.
• Previous loan applications with outstanding balances don’t have any impact on the Toronto Rent Bank Grant Pilot Program eligibility.
• Clients can apply for the Toronto Rent Bank Grant Pilot Program only once within one-year timeframe. There is no reapplication within 12 months period regardless of the previous grant amount.
• Grants for rental arrears are up to 3 months of rent or $4,000 (whichever is less).
• Grants for rental deposit are up to $1,500 x 2 for bachelor, $1,700 x 2 for 1-bedroom, $1,900 x 2 for 2-bedroom and $2,100 x 2 for 3-bedroom or large size units.
• For rental arrears applicants, grants cover rental arrears only (not any upcoming rent).
• Immigration status is not eligibility requirement criteria.

This only happened because of the power of the community union. ACORN members will be engaging their neighbours, and connecting them with the rent grant program to make sure that the relief funds go out ASAP. And members will be fighting ANY eviction attempts in their communities through direct action and tenant union organizing.

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