Ontario ACORN Organizes ‘Day of Mourning for the Death of Affordable Housing’ to Demand FULL Rent Control!

On Thursday, April 18th, Ontario ACORN members organized a day of mourning for the death of affordable housing by corporate landlords. Their murder weapon? Above Guideline Rent Increases (AGIs), renovictions and demovictions.

The Ontario Government has the power to stop the killing spree and so their inaction makes them complicit. ACORN actions are calling on the Province to introduce FULL rent control that:

• Applies to all buildings (not just those built prior to 2018).
• Includes vacancy control to stop exorbitant rent increases on vacant units, therefore removing the financial motive to do renovictions.
• Bans AGIs that circumvent existing rent control measures by passing down the costs of capital expenditures onto tenants.

Missed the actions? You can still support the fight for full rent control by:

1- Sending an email to Premier Doug Ford, the Housing Minister and your MPP through our online action: https://acorncanada.org/take_action/tell-doug-ford-to-close-ontarios-rent-control-loopholes-now/
2- Asking your union, church or other groups you’re apart of to endorse ACORN’s provincial housing platform: https://forms.gle/PhP57WxycsA3ohXaA

For more information on the scale of AGIs and renovictions/demovictions in Ontario, read ACORN’s recent reports analyzing trends in LTB data obtained through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.

AGI Report: https://acorncanada.org/resources/rent-control-loopholes-in-ontario-case-study-of-agis/
Renovictions Report: https://acorncanada.org/resources/renovictions-in-ontario/

Press and local action summaries below:

LONDON

Over a dozen London ACORN members gathered at Meredith Park for a funeral procession that toured local buildings where affordable housing was murdered by renovictions and landlord neglect. First, we marched to 520 South street, where leaders presented the findings of ACORN’s investigation into the murder of affordable housing. This first stop was a chilling scene – an affordable home where tenants once lived, long dead due to disrepair and now slated for demolition by the city after the owners refused to address work orders and left the building to rot. Next, we marched to 543 Simcoe St – another potentially affordable unit lost due to renovictions – where leaders presented the coroner’s report on the cause of death of affordable housing in Ontario. Finally, we marched to 215 Hamilton Street and the buildings nearby, where leaders shared the harrowing tale of the affordable housing murder spree that happened there – a total of FIFTEEN renovictions spread over only three buildings, the majority of which were done by corporate landlord Endless Property Holdings, who is now advertising tiny, single-bedroom units there for the so-called “affordable” price of $1400/month! SHAME!

At our final stop, leaders highlighted the fact that these renovictions are just a few examples of the MANY renovictions happening across London and across Ontario, and celebrated the work ACORN is doing to fight back (like winning a draft renoviction bylaw in London!) Members finished the action with a quick phone blitz – jamming up Doug Ford’s phone lines with ACORN’s demands for REAL rent control! Shoutout to co-chair of Carling-Stoneybrook Nawton Chiles, who took a walking interview with CTV news while we marched to our first stop!

WATERLOO REGION

16 Waterloo Region ACORN members came together to mourn the death of affordable housing with a funeral procession between two of the crime scene locations – 425 Lancaster St W and 250 Frederick St. Along the march, honks of support filled the air as members handed flyers and informational pages to passers-by. We then arrived at 250 Frederick Street, where leaders read a eulogy for the lost affordable housing in Ontario. Donned in black funeral garb, members called out the Ford government for their hand in the murder of affordable housing, and tenants shared their stories of renoviction. We then finished the action by celebrating the work and progress Waterloo region ACORN is making towards renoviction bylaws in municipalities like Kitchener! CTV and City News joined us to cover the action. Shoutout to leaders for all the creative funeral-themed signs!

TORONTO

On Thursday, April 18th 21 ACORN members protested the Above-Guideline Rent Increase (AGI) at 437 Jarvis St that was administered by Gowan Management (Landlord: 683927 Ontario Ltd) in front of their building! We mourned the death of affordable housing; inviting tenants, and MPP Chris Glover to speak on the AGI epidemic that has been diagnosed as the cause of death!

We then marched to the Landlord Tenant Board (LTB) office where we covered the door with our demand letter as the Province shut down in person hearings (at the expense of vulnerable tenants!). Security guards then directed us to Service Ontario who accepted members’ letter demanding full rent control and a ban on AGIs.

OTTAWA

ACORN members brought their umbrellas for Ottawa’s funeral action in Accora Village where tenants are facing a 5.5% rent increase. For some tenants, this means up to $100 or more! This increase in a community of low-moderate income tenants will have detrimental impacts on families who can not afford such an absurd spike. That’s why we held Ottawa’s funeral in front of 15 Woodridge where the huge Accora Village sign is to make sure that Ferguslea Properties can’t ignore us! Members of the Accora Village ACORN Tenant Union shared their experience of how this AGI impacts them. After, ACORN leader Sharon Katz read the eulogy for all of the affordable housing murdered by AGIs, renoviction and demovictions. We chanted and then marched into 15 Woodridge to petition and flyer the entire building to build more power. The security gaurd didn’t know what to do when ACORN members walked right past him and kept on petitioning and flyering so he sat in the lobby and scrolled on his phone until we said we were done! HUGE shoutout to Sharon Katz, Tuong Nguyen, and Beverley Puddicombe for leading an impactful and exciting funeral. A BIG thank you to Justice for Workers and the Labour Council for showing up in support!

HAMILTON

At high noon in Riverdale West, 25 ACORN members made the whole neighbourhood shake with chants to ban AGIs! CHCH and the Hamilton Spectator covered our funeral procession for the death of affordable housing in front of 2520 Barton St E and 45 Barlake Ave. The day’s featured murderer of affordable housing was none other than notorious slumlord Golden Equity, where tenants are currently organizing to fight a 5.5% AGI for city bylaw-enforced repairs that aren’t even complete yet! On top of paying 5.5% rent increases multiple years in a row, tenants of 2520 Barton St E have had to pay upwards of $75 every month to park at the neighbouring grocery store for the past 3 YEARS as the underground parking garage repairs remain incomplete – this didn’t stop Golden Equity from trying to charge tenants more than $800 000 to cover the costs of renovations in their most recent AGI application! Golden Equity is committed to killing affordable housing in Stoney Creek, but people power WILL bring it back to life. Property management might have disappeared when they heard us coming, but Golden Equity’s rent-gouging days are numbered – the people united will never be defeated! In the iconic words of intrepid ACORN leader Kayla Leet, “we all stand together, or we all pitch tents together”!

PEEL

More than 20 Peel ACORN members met outside 507 Balmoral Dr. in Brampton. Pulis Investments, now called Lankin Living, wants to demolish people’s homes for condos! Members are extremely concerned as many have lived in the apartment for more than 10-15 years and have nowhere else to go. Tanya Burkart, Marcia Bryan and Cheryl Craig led the action. Ruth Garner who has lived in the apartment for more than 30 years shared how it is impossible to get anything done in the building since Pulis took over. Members also joined from another Pulis building at 73 Clarence St. where tenants are getting 5.5% AGI. After the speeches, members marched to the closest intersection and waved signs and chanted – Who are we? ACORN, What do we want? Affordable housing? So, what are we gonna do? Fight Fight Fight!

The Pointer reporter came to the action and spoke to the members. Insauga is also doing a report. Members are planning an action at the city hall soon!