Hands off our Homes Quinte West continues to make their voices heard.
During Wednesday’s meeting of Quinte West council, the group representing renters facing renovictions from properties owned by Bedford Properties made a deputation to council.
During their deputation, the group brought in a special guest, candidate for mayor of Toronto, Frank D’Angelo.
D’Angelo gave a short speech to Quinte West council, urging them to continue supporting the renters in their community and highlighting that similar renovictions are a widespread problem, happening in Toronto and other communities across Ontario as well.
“This circular that they sent to people, that was a fishing expedition. They basically offered them four grand to leave and scared them, but they didn’t highlight what the most important paragraph is. You do not have to leave,” said D’Angelo.
D’Angelo urged renters facing similar attempted evictions to not sign anything without reading it, and to not be afraid to reach out for help if the paperwork is difficult to understand.
Shannon Lawrence, a representative for Hands off our Homes Quinte West, who is facing one of these renoviction attempts, said that Bedford Properties still hasn’t contacted the group or responded to any of their repeated attempts to speak to them. The group had travelled on Monday to the offices of Sterling Caremark in Toronto, a company that works with Bedford, in an attempt to get answers. The representative there was unable to provide the group any new information.
“We actually, we weren’t even sure if the CEO of Bedford Properties even existed, he was so hard to track down and still no communication. So we’re gonna try another avenue,” said Lawrence. “If he wants to renovate that’s his right. We have no problem with that. What we have a problem with is being told we need to be evicted from our homes in order for these renovations to take place.”
Lawrence also said that some families that didn’t know their rights when the notices were first issued were facing hardship, having agreed to leave their apartments before seeking advice. Families who left earlier are now facing rent increases and in some cases homelessness.
Quinte West council remained supportive of the local renters in their battle against Bedford Properties. Mayor Jim Harrison voiced his support for the renters.
“This is a very serious and agonizing situation for all the tenants in those buildings,” said Mayor Harrison. “We’re standing up and we’re saying to them, stand strong. You don’t have to move.”
Quinte West council accepted the deputation, but took no action at this time.
