Press Hits

Mayor Olivia Chow says her election-year budget’s focus on financial relief for property owners does not come at the expense of renters and homeless Torontonians.

Chow, whose 2026 proposal unveiled last week includes spending restraints to hold the property tax hike to 2.2 per cent, said Tuesday: “You will see, beginning this week, everything we are doing for renters.

“It’s a substantial amount of investment.”

She made the comment in response to a question after announcing a boost in funding for the city’s rent bank, which provides no-interest loans or grants to help people escape eviction and get back on their feet financially.

Regarder: ACORN Toronto à 9:10.

City of Waterloo council will consider the implications of implementing a bylaw to protect tenants from ‘renovictions’ next Monday, but staff note that it could be costly for taxpayers.

A renoviction occurs when a landlord evicts a tenant by claiming they will complete renovations, which range from complete overhauls to a simple paint job, in order to increase the price of rent when searching for a new tenant.

Toronto is more than doubling its budget for free air conditioning following one of the hottest summers on record.

On Thursday, the city unveiled its 2026 operating budget, which includes a fare freeze and cap for public transportation. While the city’s 2.2 per cent tax increase for property owners was one of the most anticipated sections — much smaller than last year’s 9.5 per cent — many were also waiting to see what would come of the free AC unit program.

Halifax’s registry of rental properties is now available to the public online, showing what HRM staff believe are the “bulk” of rentals in the city.

Now, city staff say they are moving toward a “proactive” approach to enforcing building standards, where previously they only investigated if someone complained.

“I’m actually a little bit surprised that it’s come this far within two years,” said tenant advocate Heather Clark. “But it does need some tweaking, still.”

The number of available rental units in the London region is the highest it’s been in the last 15 years, with a 4 per cent vacancy rate according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) 2025 Rental Market Report.

“You’ve had quite significant increases in rental apartment construction in London in recent years,” said Anthony Passarelli, senior specialist-market insights with CMHC. “Some of those units have been completed and put on the market. So, you’ve had more supply hitting the market.”