The Star: Petition and rally for affordable housing to take place in Mississauga
Posted October 14, 2021
Peel ACORN has three chapters in Peel, Ontario - Cooksville, Malton & Brampton.
Please contact the Peel ACORN office for more info on upcoming chapter meetings and actions. 647 646 8382 / peelorg@acorncanada.org //
Local Campaigns:
RentSafe: Peel ACORN’s longest-running campaign is RentSafe. While Mississauga has property standard by-laws, they are not properly enforced. Renters everywhere in the city are living through endless property standard violations and landlords are not being held accountable. That’s why members in Mississauga are fighting for a proactive bylaw system to enforce property standards so tenants can live in healthy and safe homes.
In March 2021, Peel ACORN formally launched our petition and online action. Since then, thousands of Mississauga residents have supported the campaign and many have been getting involved in the campaign, some of whom joined the fight held a petitioning day—in an area in Malton where RentSafe is desperately needed—and they were very successful in collecting 76 signatures in one afternoon for RentSafe.
Inclusionary Zoning: Our most recent campaign is Inclusionary Zoning. Better late than never, the Region of Peel is finally taking the housing crisis seriously with an Inclusionary Zoning Policy (IZ). IZ is a tool that mandates a portion of all new developments be set aside as affordable housing. This is great news, but the current proposal is friendly to developers, not the people!
The plan only sets aside 10% as affordable, some only for 25 years, and only in transit hub zones. This plan does not match the urgency of Peel's housing crisis. In a 2020 study, 80% of Peel residents said that either owning or renting is unaffordable. That’s why Peel is fighting for 20-30% set aside forever and all across Peel.
Peel ACORN member Nabeela was recently interviewed by The Toronto Star about housing affordability in Peel and the need for IZ. She worked full-time at a local food bank in Mississauga and found it nearly impossible to move into a place of her own. It wasn't until she joined ACORN in 2017, that she found out she wasn't alone and just how serious of a problem the housing crisis is in Mississauga.
Online Actions:
Mississauga Needs RentSafe (Send message to Mississauga City Councilors)
Peel Region Needs Strong Inclusionary Zoning (Send Message to local mayor, councillors, and The Region)
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Tenants of a Brampton rental housing complex say city officials and building owners have been slow to address fire safety problems that have long concerned building residents.
It was winter 2019 when Nabeela Irfan was looking for an apartment.
Yet another fire at 59-67 Ardglen Drive has left tenants scared for their lives. The most recent fire happened on June 8th. These buildings have a history of major fires. Most notably, a little boy died in a fire at the building in 2014. Yet still, in 2021, there are major fires.