ACORN Canada demands tenant protections from the climate crisis

ACORN Canada has just released a powerful new report: Crumbling Apartments in a Warming World: Tenants in an Energy Cost Crisis. Based on a national survey of over 700 tenants, the report reveals how low- and moderate-income renters are being left to shoulder the cost of the climate crisis without the protections they deserve.

With record-breaking heat waves and aging buildings, tenants are being forced to live in unsafe conditions while watching their rents climb. 44% of tenants surveyed said they had no access to air conditioning, and 67% are paying out of pocket for utilities, often in poorly insulated buildings where every degree of comfort comes at a steep cost. The federal government is investing billions in green retrofits—but without strong tenant protections, those retrofits become another excuse for landlords to increase rents or push people out. Only 19% of tenants reported seeing any energy efficiency upgrades in their building, and of those, a third received rent increases as a result.

What Tenants Are Demanding:

• Mandatory cooling requirements in all federally funded retrofits

• Anti-eviction and affordability covenants tied to public retrofit funding

• Formal tenant participation in all green retrofit planning

• Energy Poverty Programs expanded and made universal

• Mandatory Building Performance Standards with real accountability

Climate change is a crisis—but for tenants, it’s also a rent hike. We’re calling on all levels of government to make climate policy that protects tenants, not profits. We can’t afford to let landlords turn green upgrades into cash grabs.

Read ACORNs full report here: “Crumbling Apartments in a Warming World: Tenants are in an Energy Cost Crisis”

Couldn’t make it to our actions? You can still add your voice by using our online action! Send an email to Provincial and Federal Housing and Environmental ministers to demand national tenant protections!

Calgary, AB

In Calgary, ACORN members hit the pavement outside City Hall to launch our national report and gather signatures for our tenant protection petition. ACORN Members shared powerful personal stories about the unbearable heat in their apartments. Especially during wildfire season, when tenants can’t even open their windows to cool down due to toxic smoke!

Members chanted, connected with passersby, and spread the word about ACORN’s demands for protections against global warming.

Fredericton, NB

New Brunswick ACORN members in Fredericton gathered outside the Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development along with the Federation of Labour and Conservation Council of New Brunswick to deliver the report and our demands to the Minister of Energy Rene Legacy and the Minister of Natural Resources John Herron.

Check out Nichola Taylor, Chair of New Brunswick ACORN, being interviewed by CBC on BC Today! to talk about our National demands and why ACORN expects the Federal government to be part of the solution.

Hamilton, ON

Hamilton ACORN members showed up in full force at the Centre on Barton to launch our new report and turn up the volume on tenant climate justice!

With a tenant speak-out, we rallied support from the community and gathered petition signatures from people who are ready to stand with us in demanding bold protections from the housing and climate crisis!

London, ON

London ACORN gathered outside City Hall to call out the federal government for failing to protect tenants from climate costs, and slammed the City of London for proposing a weak maximum heat bylaw—one that only applies to buildings that already have air conditioning.

Members fanned out across the area, collecting petition signatures to add the communities voice to our demands!

Mississauga, ON

A little rain didn’t stop our members! ACORN members came out ready to organize. The crew flyered windshields in nearby parking garages, keeping our materials dry while getting the word out about our climate justice campaign. Chair of the Cooksville Chapter, Marcia Powell, gave an interview with Insauga, which will be published later this week—stay tuned! Rain or shine, Mississauga tenants are showing up for climate justice.

Moncton, NB

ACORN Members in Moncton gathered in Victoria Park, shared their experiences with high bills, some information and stats from the report then lead chants! We marched down to local MLA Claire Johnson’s office to deliver the report. We’ll be meeting with her next week!

New Brunswick ACORN who are running their own major campaign in response to NB power raising their rates by 19% over two years which is making the cost of energy crisis particularly impactful in NB. Take Action and demand provincial government step in and protect low- and moderate-income tenants in New Brunswick!

Ottawa, ON

Ottawa ACORN members rallied outside City Hall at 11 AM to launch our new report. ACORN spotlighted the urgent need for a maximum heat bylaw in Ottawa to protect tenants from dangerous indoor temperatures. After the rally, members marched into City Hall to hand-deliver copies of the report to key decision-makers—including city councillors on the Environment and Climate Committee and the Mayor.

Toronto, ON

Toronto ACORN held a powerful press conference outside City Hall. ACORN National President Alejandra Ruiz-Vargas followed by laying out the national context, explaining how green retrofit funding is being rolled out without tenant protections, and emphasizing the need for policies that don’t leave tenants behind. Thank you to our allies—Toronto Councillor Fletcher and Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) who stood with us in support.

Toronto-specific demands our members would like to see put into place include:

1. Speeding up the development of the maximum indoor temperature bylaw (currently delayed until Q4 2025)
2. Amending indoor temperature bylaws to apply year-round, ensuring homes are safe in every season
3. Public reporting of heat-related deaths by Toronto Public Health
4. Free TTC rides on extreme heat days
5. Mandatory access to an air-conditioned common room in all apartment buildings

Toronto recently announced a free air conditioner program for low-income seniors, following pressure from our Beat the Heat campaign. The speedy rollout this year includes 450 units and is an important first step that we would like to see expanded next year.

Vancouver, BC

In the middle of a heatwave BC ACORN members rallied outside BC Hydro’s downtown office to demand action on the climate and housing crisis.

When members tried to deliver the report to BC Hydro, they were blocked at the door by security and told they needed an appointment. HUGE props to Monica Bhandari, Chair of New West ACORN, who responded by speaking through the intercom and handing off the report to a security who promised to pass it along—we’ll be following up.

Tenants in BC are standing up, heatwave or not. We’re not going away.