NDP’s Miller demands Ford protect Hamilton renters who are facing ‘renoviction’ during the pandemic

HAMILTON – NDP MPP Paul Miller (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek) has released a statement on the attempts by a landlord to ‘renovict’ residents of an apartment building in Hamilton’s east end, and calling for the Ford government to halt these evictions immediately:

“During a pandemic, with many people’s livelihoods and dreams in question, the Ford government is permitting the most egregious case of landlord abuse I have ever seen in this community.

For years I have spoken out about the imbalance of power between landlords and their tenants and now families and seniors living in 285 Melvin Avenue in Hamilton’s east end are being told to get out by their landlord, in order to renovate and raise the rent. People have lived in this building for decades with intergenerational families calling it home since the 1970s. Most of the residents are on fixed incomes with a high concentration of seniors and people on social assistance.

Unfortunately, many unscrupulous landlords now have their targets set directly on the poorest and neediest in our city. Handing out intimidating N9 lease termination forms and ambiguous N13 renovation forms while offering up financial incentives to the long term tenants to quietly go away without a fight. The owners are telling tenants they have to leave despite the rules clearly indicating that they have the right to move back into the rental unit once they have completed the repairs or renovations.

The Ford government must begin to crack down on these underhanded evictions. Real action is needed. Hamilton is not simply an investment opportunity, and 285 Melvin Ave. is not a portfolio option for greedy speculators. These are homes where families and seniors live, and they deserve to be protected. These residents have had enough and they’re going to fight back against these unjust evictions.

That’s why the NDP has tabled a comprehensive plan, Homes You Can Afford, to make it easier for everyone to get into a home they can afford in Ontario, which also takes powerful action to end renovictions.”

Miller will join a rally with tenants on Friday at 11.00 a.m. outside 285 Melvin Ave. calling on the landlord to stop renovictions.

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Mike Wood, Chair of Hamilton Tenants In Unity

“We need changes in the laws that remove incentives from landlords who want to do renovictions as well we need an eviction ban in place until COVID-19 is over, with 285 Melvin Ave around 60 apartments received eviction notices for cosmetic work, what we see here is landlords taking advantage of renters for profits. Hamilton Tenants in Unity are calling on Family Properties to dismiss the N9 and N13 forms and give tenants in writing that they have dismissed and will not renovict tenants from here on, at a time we are asked to stay home because of COVID-19 we have tenants being put on to the streets and at risk of becoming homeless.”