“It’s wrong, it shouldn’t happen,” says NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh to tenants handed eviction notices.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is in London to talk about rent pricing and affordability in Canada.
Singh, who was joined by other NDP officials and London MPs, held a press conference just across the street from 1270 and 1280 Webster Street.
This area was recently in the public eye due to a protest that occurred following news that tenants were handed eviction notices in order to renovate the building.
“In these buildings there are seniors that live there, single parents, families, people who work hard everyday,” says NDP leader Jagmeet Singh.
“Seniors that live on fixed incomes, people who have done everything right and just want a roof over their head, to put food on the table. All because a corporation based in Toronto has purchased these buildings with the sole purpose of evicting, renovating, and jacking up the rents to make more profit.”
Singh went on to talk about the current state of rent pricing across the country, also mentioning the increasing costs of food and groceries, discussing how tough it has become for Canadians.
“In a time when bills are rising and the cost of everything is going up, the fear that these folks are having to live with right now not knowing if they’re going to find a place, it’s disgraceful,” says Singh.
“The rents they were paying here were affordable, about $900 a month. Now, the average rent in London right now, you can’t find anything for less than $17-hundred, almost double what they’re paying.”
A large crowd growing of tenants and supporters outside the 1270 and 1280 Webster St. apartments.
Before and during the press conference, a large number of tenants and supporters gathered to talk about the situation occurring at the apartment buildings located on-site.
“They’re pretty well throwing people to the curb, because rent has doubled,” says Marie Cook, one of the tenants in the building.
“They want to put a lick of paint on it, fluff it up, and charge twice the rent. That’s what they’re doing.”
No building representatives or landlords were on site to provide their perspective or comment, but Scott Cook, Marie’s spouse who lives with her in the building, went into detail on how he feels the best-case-scenario for the tenants would still be to stay.
“They want to stop the “reno-victions”,” says Scott.
“There’s nothing wrong with the building, it’s in good shape. They’re more solid than other buildings we’ve lived in.”
The two then go into detail about extra measures the owners are taking to make it tougher for tenants to want to stay.
“They’re trying to get everyone to get rid of their barbecues, their air-conditioners, that sort of thing,” says Scott, with Marie adding, “They want to put smart metres in there, so they have to pay their own hydro.”
Tenants angered by eviction notices, bringing signs to express their thoughts during Singh’s press conference.
One positive that Marie said has come from the situation is the sense of unity that’s been brought forward among the tenants of the affected buildings.
“It brings us all together, a few people I never knew before,” says Marie.
We’ve been here four years and we’re meeting people we didn’t know. Nobody is taking care of the buildings at all, so us tenants get together, the ladies, and we clean everything up.”
The building representatives previously stated that the renovation projects would take between 7 and 10 months, offering $5-thousand to residents who left the building before May 31.
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