NDP MPP calls for Ford to sign order banning COVID evictions

QUEEN'S PARK - MPP Suze Morrison (Toronto Centre), the NDP's critic for Tenant Rights, held a virtual press conference Wednesday urging Doug Ford to immediately sign an emergency order banning residential evictions for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Morrison's motion to ban evictions was adopted unanimously on Tuesday by the Ontario legislature, and now the NDP is putting pressure on Ford to make the motion an immediate reality, so that no more Ontarians are forced out of their homes in the height of a pandemic.

“Doug Ford is presiding over the mass eviction of Ontario families despite his promise in March that no one would lose their home because of COVID-19,” said Morrison. “Families all over the province have lost their income, their job, or their business through no fault of their own as a result of the pandemic.”

As winter nears and shelters in Toronto are at capacity, tenants who are evicted have nowhere to go, and many are on the verge of becoming homeless. The government is forcing people – even those in lockdown areas – to find shelter, apartment hunt, crash with friends or family or survive on the street. It’s putting people at risk of catching and spreading COVID-19.

“The legislature has unanimously agreed we need urgent action on this issue,” said Morrison. “Doug Ford needs to pass an emergency order to ban COVID evictions today.”

At the virtual press conference, Morrison was joined by Dr. Suzanne Shoush, academic family physician and Indigenous Health Faculty Lead for the Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto; Cathy Crowe, street nurse and co-founder of the Shelter and Housing Justice Network (SHJN); and Linette King, staff lawyer at Neighbourhood Legal Services, to call for the Ford government to do more to protect tenants.

QUOTES

Cathy Crowe, street nurse and co-founder of the Shelter and Housing Justice Network (SHJN):

“There must be an eviction moratorium and international public health guidance prescribes that you must allow people to stay in place - at home. In this chronic housing shortage there is simply no place for people to move to and let's not even think about forcing people into shelters or encampments.”

Chiara Padovani, member of the York South-Weston Tenant Union:

"At the beginning of this pandemic Premier Ford said no one should lose their homes for not being able to afford rent, but that's exactly what's happening all over our community: COVID-19 cases are increasing and evictions are on the rise. Tenants can't lockdown if we're locked out. Reinstating the eviction moratorium is the only way to guarantee tenants have a roof over their heads this holiday season and for the remainder of this pandemic."

Harmy Mendoza, executive director, Woman Abuse Council of Toronto:

“Ontario needs a residential evictions moratorium to support safe and stable tenancies for women. Evictions disproportionately burden low-income and racialized women, survivors of domestic violence, and women-led households and create a pathway into homelessness and housing instability. This places women at greater risk of violence and often forces women and their children to return to violent situations.”

Linette King, staff lawyer at Neighbourhood Legal Services:

“Tenants need eviction relief now more than ever. Renters who faced unemployment or a severe reduction of hours in the first lockdown continue to experience these hardships and worse in this second wave. Reinstating the eviction moratorium is a necessary step to ensure the weight of the pandemic is not unfairly shouldered by our neighbours who are precariously employed. We need to look out for each other now more than ever and protect households from eviction both as a social justice issue and to ensure people can shelter in place to reduce community spread of Covid-19.”

Alyssa Brierley, executive director, Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation:

“Our governments should be well-aware by now of the devastating and long-lasting consequences of evicting people from their homes, which are only becoming more severe during the pandemic. Housing is a human right, which means that the Ontario Government has an obligation to do everything in their power to keep tenants in their homes. An eviction moratorium is the best way to protect renters in Ontario from experiencing homelessness and, as a result, increased vulnerability to COVID-19. This should be non-negotiable.”