Press Hits

The St. Thomas Fire Department says it was an extreme case of renoviction that led to the closure of an apartment building in the south end of the city, following numerous safety violations. Robin Slade, the co-chair of the London Central and Surrounding Area Chapter of rental advocacy group ACORN Canada, said it’s harder to hold property owners accountable when tenants don’t actually know who their landlords are.

City councilors and tenant advocates talked about a proposed bylaw that would curb bad-faith renovictions that force tenants out and offer clearer protections and compensation options for renters. Marcia Stone, chair of ACORN’s Weston chapter, stated that this bylaw means a lot to their tenants, members and other people across this country. She said that this bylaw requiring landlords to apply for a license will catch the bad-faith actors and allow enforcement against corporate landlords who use tenants as “commodities.”

The gulf in affordability effectively forces some Carleton students to choose between Gatineau’s lower prices and higher commute times, or Ottawa’s higher rates and shorter commutes. But why is there such a stark cost difference between Ottawa and Gatineau housing? Housing advocates are pointing to a lack of rent control as the problem. “Many people are [living in] Gatineau because of the apartment price,” said Tamirat Ganeda, a representative from the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN).

Tenant advocates marked a huge win Wednesday as the City of Toronto released the details of a long awaited “renoviction” bylaw. “Finally we can smile,” said Alejandra Ruiz Vargas, Canada chair for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). “Every time we come in here to protest or to dispute [but] today we can relax. Justice has been served to the City of Toronto and I think tenants in every part of the city, they should celebrate tonight. They should say that, ‘Finally,we have been heard.’”

Toronto city staff unveiled a draft renovictions bylaw to protect tenants from unlawful evictions on Wednesday, set to be considered by city council in November. According to the draft bylaw, Toronto landlords will be required to apply for a rental renovation licence with the city within seven days of issuing an N13 notice, which is provided by the province, to end tenancy. The licence will cost $700 per unit.