Hundreds of tenants and housing advocates rallied at Queen’s Park on Saturday, calling on the Ford government to scrap Bill 60, arguing it will increase housing instability and exacerbate homelessness in the province.
The bill is aimed at speeding up decisions that increase housing supply. But critics point out the bill would block renters from introducing new evidence during Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) hearings and cut appeal times from 30 to 15 days. It would also eliminate the rule that states landlords must provide a month’s rent in compensation when they evict a tenant for personal use of the property.
“We are here, we are angry, we are pissed off, and we are scared of what is going to happen to us once this bill passes,” said Chiara Padovani, co-chair of the York South-Weston Tenant Union.
“It is shortening the period that tenants have to catch up on rent from 14 days to 7 days. They’re also tightening evictions against late payments, making it easier to evict you, not even when you’re behind on rent, but just if you’re late on rent and imagine having the audacity to do that when rent is so expensive.”
Advocates also say that when it comes to hearings at the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), tenants can no longer defend themselves unless they pay 50 per cent of what the landlord is claiming they owe before it is proven.
“They are going to create messes at the tribunal, there’s gonna be more court work, there’s gonna be more homelessness,” said Karen Andrews, a staff lawyer at the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario.
Province-wide, officials say there are about 80,000 people experiencing homelessness, and that number is predicted to grow to 300,000 in the next 10 years, arguing this bill will be an exacerbating factor.
The province says the changes contained in the bill would actually entice more people to rent out their properties, increasing housing, while at the same time holding bad apples who abuse the system accountable.
In a statement to CityNews, a spokesperson to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing says in part, “Bill 60 restores balance and rebuilds confidence in Ontario’s rental housing market by protecting responsible tenants that fulfill their responsibilities in their lease agreement while ensuring accountability for those who repeatedly abuse the system and create backlogs at the Landlord Tenant Board. It also ensures families who depend on rental income are able to pay their [mortgages, property taxes, and utility] bills that keeps more rental homes available.”
“Unlocking housing by throwing people on the street is not a housing solution,” said Yaroslava Avila Montenegro, the executive director of the Federation of Metro Tenants’ Association.
The opposition NDP say the bill is aimed at getting rid of any rent control in the province and will lead to “mass evictions.”
“We’re going to force a debate once again on a number of important protections for tenants, like bringing back rent control, and we’re actually going to try to get the government to repeal the legislation as soon as they pass it,” said Leader Marit Stiles.
MPPs are expected to vote on the bill on Monday.
