Special delivery for London Middlesex Community Housing from ACORN on the Walnut!

Today’s rally outside 85 Walnut was one for the history books!! With LOADS of media attention from nearly every agency in the city – London Free Press, CTV, CBC, 980CFPL, and the Gazette – over 30 ACORN members and supporters gathered outside 85 Walnut street today to call out the constant cycle of pests, disrepair, security issues, and mismanagement tenants have been dealing with in the building. Despite being owned and managed by the city, LMCH (London and Middlesex Community Housing, who owns 85 Walnut St) is failing to provide tenants with the healthy homes they deserve! SHAME!

That’s why the “ACORN on the Walnut” tenant union is fighting back! Members kicked off the action by crashing an interview being given by an LMCH representative to CTV, filling the background with signs and chants so they KNEW how fed up tenants are!

Tenant Union leader Sharon Villeneuve then highlighted the litany of issues tenants are experiencing in the building, and the hypocrisy of the city to not follow their own standards – “LMCH is City-Run housing, and you would expect the city would be setting the standard when it comes to tenant care!” ACORN members Linda Thompson and Lorraine Tauson also shared their stories of maintenance neglect from LMCH.

Following the testimonies from tenants, ACORN members then marched inside the building to make a “special delivery” to LMCH – a demand letter, and bags of “samples” that tenants had gathered over a single week in the building, to show just how ineffective LMCH’s pest management has become! After receiving the letter and “samples”, the LMCH representative agreed to set up a meeting to discuss tenants’ concerns! People power WORKS!

ACORN members finished the action by picketing out in front of 85 Walnut, with lots of honks in support. Sharon spoke on behalf of all of us with a final note to finish the action: “If they don’t keep that meeting, we’ll be here again!”