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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2001 HOUSING CRISIS ESCALATES IN TORONTO The housing situation in Toronto, for many poor and working families and individuals, gets worse every day. On so many fronts, the three levels of government are indifferent to the needs of families and individuals requiring both basic shelter and protection from landlords. We have federal, provincial and local governments that refuse to show leadership on the housing crisis. Our greatest fear is that they will allow another fall and winter to go by with many people living on the streets, in terrible shelters and substandard private and social housing. Let's look at four serious housing problems in our community. Private housing market: In recent weeks we are all reeling from bad news on the housing front. First the provincial government is allowing landlords to set rent increases in the private housing market for the next year at 3.9%. This is going to create unbelievable problems for many families and individuals. Already too many people in Toronto are finding it difficult to make ends meet, including working families. Workers haven't had wage increase in years--just look at the PSAC members at the Federal Government. There is now a growing part-time, low wage workforce in our community. As well, the amendments to the ESA are going to continue the erosion of the income of workers. Further, thousands of tenants in the City have faced unfair evictions as their landlords get a free pass at the tribunals. Landlords in Toronto are determined to evict tenants in order to convert affordable rental units into luxury condos. In spite of City bylaws that prohibit this practice, landlords are able to win the conversion battles at the Ontario Municipal Board. Seniors on fixed incomes, students, low wage workers, are put in terrible situations wondering if they will be able to keep an affordable roof over their heads. The City as landlord: Tenants/residents in social housing units--the former THC and MTHC--are now facing an uncertain future as a result of the Harris Government's Social Housing Reform Act. The decision made by City Council this spring to set up a new housing body, the Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) is cause for concern on a number of fronts. Delegates need to be aware the TCHC will be the largest landlord in Canada with 60,000+ tenants/residents. First, residents/tenants don't know how their new landlord (TCHC) will deal with many complicated issues such as evictions, renovations, accountability and the rights of tenants to be involved in the decision making process. Further, the employees of this new body are also in jeopardy. The members of CUPE Locals 79 and 416, OPSEU Local 592 and several building trades affiliates such as IBEW and Carpenters are faced with a new employer who many fear will introduce policies to privatize and contract out existing administrative and maintaince/cleaning jobs. As well, the Fair Wage Policy is at risk because the City sees the TCHC as a separate corporate structure that does not need to adhere to current City policies. The new Board of Directors of TCHC does not provide for any representation from the unions. Changes in how repairs and maintiance are done in the new TCHC has major implications not only for the security of the members in these different unions but has a real impact on the quality of life for tenants/residents. We have City Councillors and staff who want to aggressively move on the privatization/contracting out front. The recent announcement of the eviction of all the residents from Don Mount Court, an old MTHC project has raised real concerns amongst many residents/tenants. So many of the TCHC buildings are in such bad shape because of the lack of proper repair work. The failure to maintain these properties over the years has made them prime candidates for redevelopment. This is bad news for both tenants/residents and workers. Homeless people under attack: The conditions of the most vulnerable in our City--homeless people--does not get any better. This past summer, homeless people have been forcibly removed from several parks including St James Anglican Cathedral Park and Metropolitan United Church Park with the support of parish clergy and local residents. The police have brutally enforced their policies of targeted policing and zero tolerance for staying in parks overnight. This Labour Council has worked with MNSJ and our community partners to protest these outrageous attacks on homeless people. Further the City is still dragging its feet in putting up prefab housing in Tent City. As well we don't have enough shelter beds to meet the growing demand expected for this fall and winter. Federal/provincial housing program: The failure of the federal and provincial governments to deal with this housing crisis is a scandal. The Chretien Government is now saying that it will create a national housing program to build affordable housing as long as the provinces put in dollars. The response from the Harris government is silence. Harris has no intention of getting into the business of creating affordable housing. Instead, because of this government's right wing ideology, they are prepared to let people live on the streets, kids live in motel rooms on the Kingston Road strip in Scarborough, families, seniors and individuals live in fear of at least 3.9% rent increases and evictions because of condo conversions and residents/tenants in social housing units live in deteriorating housing because of privatization/contracting out of City jobs and wonder if they will be evicted tomorrow because of redevelopment. Your Issues and Actions Committee and Executive Board recommends:
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