COVID-19 is one of the worst health crises we’ve ever faced.
Thousands have been thrown out of work, and that’s put tremendous pressure on people to make ends meet -- especially here in Davenport where over half the population are tenants, and where the housing crisis was already making it hard for people to keep a roof over their heads.
Yet despite this incredible economic turmoil, Doug Ford is trying to ram new changes through the Legislature that will make it easier for landlords to evict tenants, and allow them to get away with illegal rent increases.
My colleagues and I in the NDP have been fighting this bill since Day 1, and tenants have been organizing and fighting back too. But instead of fixing this flawed bill, Ford doubled down, defeating our amendments at committee and actually making the bill worse.
Now the bill could be up for its third and final vote in the Legislature as early as Tuesday, and we need your help in this last push to stop it.
Below are some quick actions you can take to help protect our neighbours.
Thanks for everything you do to make our community a fairer, stronger one,
Marit
Marit Stiles, MPP
Davenport
ACT NOW:
Find out more about the anti-renter Bill 184, and how it could impact you by reading my summary of the bill.
Call Doug Ford and the Housing Minister
Who do I call?
The office of Minister Clark, Minister for Municipal Affairs and Housing - 613-342-9522
The office of Premier Ford - 416-745-2859
What do I say when I call? (If no one answers, leave a message!)
My name is (insert name) and I live in (add city). I am calling because I want you to vote no on Bill 184.
Bill 184 is going to make it easier for landlords to evict tenants and for landlords to illegally raise the rent. As a renter, I am already paying too much for housing. Housing is a human right.
I want Doug Ford to bring in real rent control, proper eviction protections for those of us that can’t pay rent during the pandemic, and real fines for landlords that illegally evict tenants.
Email Ford and Clark now:
Copy, paste and send this sample email to tell Ford to truly help renters get through this pandemic and beyond:
Minister Clark: [email protected]
Premier Ford: [email protected]
Copy my office: [email protected]
Sample Email (feel free to make it your own):
Minister Clark and Premier Ford,
Making it easier to evict tenants in the midst of a pandemic is wrong.
Our community was already facing a housing crisis before COVID-19 and Bill 184 will only serve to push more people out onto the street. I oppose Bill 184 and demand that it be withdrawn now.
Instead of ramming through these changes that will hurt tenatns, your government should be acting to help tenants and make housing more affordable:
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Protect tenants from losing their homes because they couldn’t afford to pay rent during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bill 184 currently offers no solution for the thousands of tenants who are unable to pay their rent during the pandemic through no fault of their own and now face eviction. The government has told landlords they may continue to threaten tenants with eviction notices during the emergency, despite the suspension of eviction hearings and orders. We are also hearing that the Landlord Tenant Board will soon start hearing eviction proceedings online, setting the stage for mass evictions.
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Introduce real rent control on all units, including vacant units.Vacancy control will stop landlords from profiting from evicting people and replacing them with people who can pay higher “market” rent.
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Truly protect tenants from illegal evictions. Ontario needs higher fines for landlords that illegally evict, and real government enforcement of illegal evictions. Currently, tenants must prove to the Landlord Tenant Board that a landlord illegally evicted them, which in practice means there is no real enforcement.
This is our city. We all deserve to live in safe affordable homes.
Withdraw Bill 184 now.
Sincerely,
NAME
Postal Code
Cc. Marit Stiles, MPP for Davenport