Update on ACORN Hamilton’s anti-renoviction bylaw campaign

Today we hosted a press conference before the Emergency and Community Services Committee. Led by downtown member Shelly and Mountain co-chair Marnie, we spoke about our campaign to get the City of Hamilton to pass the first municipal anti-renoviction bylaw in Ontario and demands for the committee to strengthen the renovations license and relocation listings bylaw first presented at the August 17 meeting. The item was deferred to the meeting today. While we were restricted from delegating because of the deferral, we submitted a correspondence with what was missing in the bylaw and changes needed to ensure the bylaw restricts renoviction in Hamilton and prevents tenants from becoming homeless.

ACORN members Kristain from 7 Grosvenor Ave S and Lorne from 3 William St spoke about renoviction in their buildings and urgent need for local tenant protections.

Our close allies joined from Hamilton Community Legal Clinic and Hamilton Community Benefits Network as well as Ward 3, 4, and 13 Councillors.

At the committee a motion was passed unanimously from Councillor Nann (Seconded by Councillor Alex Wilson) for:

• Staff directed to review the correspondence from ACORN and ACTO for possible amendments and revisions to the proposed renovations license and report back to the committee no later than January 18th 2024 on any staff recommended revisions to the bylaw.
• Staff directed to include costs of the bylaw as a placeholder in the 2024 operating budget deliberations
  While it was been a long journey since December 2020 (when the first motion passed), we are closer than ever to seeing Hamilton pass an anti-renoviction bylaw.

The hard part – the bylaw won’t protect all the tenants who have already lost their homes or are in the middle of the fight right now to defend their homes from predatory and greedy landlords. But we are proud of how much progress the campaign has made and that we have the full attention of Council this term to get a strong bylaw passed.

The fight continues. If you are worried about renoviction (or demoviction) at your building – please get in touch!

Read more:
Hamilton ACORN’s submission to the Emergency & Community Services Community on the Renoviction Bylaw
ACTO Opinion – Municipal Renoviction Bylaws are possible.