Ontario Day of Action for FULL Rent Control!

Ontario ACORN members organized local actions in 5 cities across the province on July 11th in protest of Above-Guideline-Increases in rent (AGIs), renovictions and skyrocketing rents. ACORN is demanding the Ontario Government protect affordable housing, and stop placating for-profit corporate developers and their desire for maximum profits.

These actions took place shortly after the Province announced that next year’s annual rent increase guideline will be 2.5% (one of the highest in recent history) and that the legislature would break for the summer. But Ontario tenants won’t be enjoying their summer holidays like their MPPs with bigger rent increases on the horizon!

While rent increases will be capped at 2.5% this does not apply to all units – vacant units and those that were built after 2018 are excluded. This creates a financial incentive to do renovictions. Landlords can also bypass this 2.5% cap by applying for an AGI. An AGI allows landlords to pass down the cost of major repairs or building upgrades to tenants. This means that thousands of tenants will see their rent increase by much more than 2.5%.

Ontario ACORN is calling on the Province to:

1. Expand Rent Control to ALL buildings, not just those built prior to 2018
2. Introduce Vacancy Control to stop exorbitant rent increases between tenants
3. Ban AGIs

Want to support this campaign? Add your name to our online action to send a message to Doug Ford, the Housing Minister and your MPP: https://acorncanada.org/take_action/tell-doug-ford-to-close-ontarios-rent-control-loopholes-now/

Summary of Actions:

Toronto

Toronto ACORN organized TWO actions in support of full rent control! The first of the day, had 10 ACORN members march down to Premier Doug Ford’s constituency office to get support on our menu for the “BBQ” for affordable housing.

Members gave testimonies struggling with high rent, read our demands, and left messages on Doug Ford’s phone! No response from Doug Ford’s office, but they did call the police to come – shame that’s how the Premier chooses to treat his constituents!

During the second action, more than 10 ACORN members showed up at 437 Jarvis St to fight the AGI members are facing. We were joined by University-Rosedale MPP and NDP Housing Critic, Jessica Bell, and we marched down to Wellesley Community Centre to petition for our demands while flyering throughout the march!

Great actions! Who are we ACORN? What do we want! Full Rent Control! When do we want it? Yesterday!

Ottawa

Ottawa ACORN held an action to fight for FULL rent control outside the Bronson Place Towers. Over 20 ACORN members came out to support the Bronson Place ACORN Tenant Union where Manor Park Management has given tenants an Above Guideline Increase in rent (AGI) and for some, this is their second! Bronson Place ACORN members shared the financial impacts and mental stress caused by these rent increases.

Then ACORN members plastered the lobby of 440 Gloucester St with demand letters addressed to Manor Park to drop the increase and meet with ACORN! The rental office closed early and they were nowhere to be found.

ACORN members weren’t done there. We flyered both towers and got lots of petition signatures from Bronson Place tenants to continue to build power and fight back.

This isn’t the first, and won’t be the last time that Manor Park will be hearing from ACORN.

HUGE shoutout to ACORN leaders Sharon Katz, Evan Bury, and Nugs Lackey for leading a powerful demonstration. Big thank you to Ottawa-Centre MPP Joel Harden who joined us and spoke in support of fighting for FULL rent control in Ontario!

Mississauga

Peel ACORN’s march to Morguard’s office was awesome! We marched there to deliver a demand letter that opposes their most recent round of AGI’s at 2869 Battleford Rd, and demand a meeting to discuss the need for maintenance throughout the complex of 23 townhouses and 1 apartment building. All 10 of us made it into the office but were met with security. After some negotiation, 5 members left the building to continue chanting outside the office, collecting signatures for the petition and handing out flyers while the rest of us stayed to make sure we secure a meeting. We met with Susan Morasse, a regional manager at Morguard and scheduled a meeting on July 22 at 10am to discuss the issues further!

Hamilton

Organizing WORKS! More than 20 Hamilton ACORN members joined a 2-part action calling out PC MPP Neil Lumsden for refusing to meet with low-income constituents to discuss supporting REAL rent control! An advance team delivered our demands in plainclothes to make sure staff didn’t lock us out while an energized crowd of members followed at a distance, making noise and preparing to bring the hammer down! The strategy paid off – for the first time, ACORN demands made their way INSIDE of MPP Lumsden’s office, with a promise from staff to be delivered directly to the Housing Minister! We then kept the good momentum rolling and joined our local OPSEU allies on the LCBO picket line – one way or another, Doug Ford has GOT TO GO!

London

For the Day of Action, London ACORN members came together to petition nearby buildings along Kipps Lane where tenants are experiencing disrepair, pests, and skyrocketing rents -SHAME! Members collected dozens of petition signatures and shared information about ACORN’s demands for FULL rent control and tenant protections from renovictions!