07) PARKDALE TENANTS CONTINUE TO ORGANIZE

By Fran Sedgwick

            Tenants in Toronto’s Parkdale community continue to organize, this time against one of the most notorious slum landlords in Parkdale: the Wynn Properties. Located at 103 and 105 West Lodge Ave. just south of Queen St. West, the buildings have 720 units.

            The conditions in their units are so bad residents held a rally in front of the two buildings on February 20 to draw attention the unbelievable situation they are living under.

            The rally was a success and the tenants' complaints were covered extensively in the Toronto Star, and also on CBC radio, TV and the Parkdale Villager.

            To quote from the Villager:

            "One of the residents who moved into the West Lodge Tower in Parkdale four years ago said the unit was in an optimal condition and has gotten progressively worse as the years went on. `The walls are full of fungus and they (the Wynns) won't repaint them. The toilet doesn't flush properly. I have to add water to the tank and it's been like that since I moved in.’ A portion of his ceiling is also caving in, the door to the balcony lets in cold air and he has issues of bedbugs and cockroaches."

            Organizing gets results. Since the demo and coverage in the media, the City of Toronto has posted a sign in the entrance to the two buildings stating the City will send inspectors and set up a mobile unit for tenants to bring their work orders and complaints.

            According Cole Webber, a member of Parkdale Organize, a community organization focused on helping tenants, "Over the past few months tenants at both buildings have come together to create a committee to boost their pull for repairs. Upwards of 60 tenants from both properties form the committee. This is the first rally tenants have organized with the goal of getting the landlord to take notice of the pressing repair issues."

            Conditions continue to get worse in Parkdale as apartment buildings are being bought up by unscrupulous companies forcing out low income residents so they can jack up the rent to whatever the market will bare.

            Affordable housing has been promised by all levels of government but nothing has materialized. Instead, affordable housing is diminishing every day as rents skyrocket out of control because the Provincial Government refuses to enforce meaningful rent controls.

The above article is from the March 16-31, 2016, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading socialist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3J1.)