Ontario-wide outreach for full rent control!

ACORN members across Ontario mobilized support for FULL rent control! Ontario ACORN members in 6 cities across the province went canvass, flyering, postering, petitioning and dropping letters at PC MPP constituency offices.

Full rent control means all buildings, all units and NO loopholes. Ontario ACORN is demanding:

• Rent control on ALL buildings, not just those built prior to 2018.
• Vacancy control to stop unlimited rent increases on vacant units.
• Ban on Above-Guideline-Increases in rent (AGIs) as they’re just a tool for big corporate landlords to bypass rent control.

Summary of Actions/Outreach:

Ottawa ACORN 

Ottawa ACORN members gathered today at MPP Lisa MacLeod’s office to drop off a letter demanding full rent control with NO loopholes for all Ontario. Right as we were about to begin the property manager claimed the grass beside their property was theirs and only 1 person could go to drop off the letter. Members were unfazed and kept going. After speaking and chanting we talked to people in the area and door knocked to gather support for full rent control by petitioning and flyering! When it was time to do the letter drop off, members said let’s all go do the drop off together they can’t stop us! Unfortunately Lisa MacLeod’s office was closed so we slipped it under their door, taped it to their door, as well as called the office’s phone number to make sure MPP hears loud and clear We Need Full Rent Control Now! Thank you to our leaders Andrea Terry and Nelda Giroux.

Hamilton ACORN

Members from the four chapters of Hamilton participated in the rally and visited MPP Donna Skelly’s office to deliver a letter demanding full rent control. ACORN leaders delivered the demand letter to MPP Skelly along with a copy of ACORN National Housing Platform, emphasizing the failures of current rent control laws and urging action on the housing crisis. The rally began at 11 AM, highlighting the importance of collective action for housing rights, discussing the alarming gaps in Ontario’s rental regulations, including vacancy decontrol and exemptions for newer buildings, which leave renters vulnerable. Members shared personal testimonials about their housing struggles, pointing out examples of renovictions, high rent and irresponsible landords highlighting the urgent need for reform that addresses the crisis affecting families and individuals alike. After the rally, members conducted a flyering and door knocking campaign in two groups to collect signatures for the petition for full rent control reinforcing the call for housing reforms.

Brantford and Hamilton ACORN members had an incredible outreach day talking to community members about REAL RENT CONTROL in Victoria Park! We flyered up and down the streets of downtown Brantford, and organized an impromptu phone zap to Will Bouma’s office with our demands! Brantford needs rent control in ALL units, NO exceptions!

Peel ACORN

Leaders delivered a letter to MPP Kaleed Rasheed of Mississauga East-Cooksville (a riding he only won narrowly and has since left the PC party – now an independent). Afterwards members distributed 200 flyers around the area to promote our online action demanding full rent control + to give info to future voters on Ford’s bad housing track record.

London ACORN

Toronto ACORN

Scarborough and York West ACORN members had an amazing day reaching out to hundreds of people to talk about real rent control! Scarborough Centre MPP David Smith won his riding by less than 6% – but his party has been stripping away at rent control protections! We flyered up and down Brimley Road and gathered signatures from people demanding real rent control!

You can join the fight for rent control by visiting acorncanada.org!