‘It’s a plague’: Advocates renew calls for renoviction bylaw in Kitchener

Local advocates are renewing their calls for a bylaw that would prevent renters from losing their homes and protect them from bad landlords.

Known as a ‘renoviction,’ the term refers to the practice of forcing a tenant out of a building, citing the need for extensive renovations or repairs in the unit.

On Monday, more than a dozen people took their fight to Kitchener City Hall, hoping to grab the attention of councillors and city staff.

“People need a renoviction bylaw passed,” said Ryan Murdock, secretary of the Waterloo chapter of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). “They need it passed now. They needed it passed yesterday.”

Linda Vos is one of several tenants at 250 Frederick St., who received a renoviction notice earlier this year. While her case was dismissed by the Landlord Tenant Board last week, she said other people in her building aren’t as lucky.

“(The landlords) seem to be targeting the individuals that have lower rents, that have been living in my building for decades,” said Vos.

To put the problem into perspective, ACORN said it surveyed 160 tenants in Waterloo Region, with 28 per cent saying they received one or more eviction notices in the last five years. Of those, 54 per cent were notices to vacate for renovations or demolition.

“It’s a plague that’s really going across the country,” said Murdock. “And that’s why you see other municipalities, other regions stepping up and protecting their citizens, protecting their tenants, and that’s what we need Kitchener to do here.”

Back in February, city staff told council they needed time to review how similar bylaws worked in other jurisdictions like Hamilton, London and Toronto. They’re expected to share their findings in a report at a committee meeting on June 16.

“There’s no reason that Kitchener can’t do it,” said ACORN’s Ken Vogelpohl. “All we’ve been hearing is excuses. What we want is some action.”

One city councillor said she also wants to see the city take action

“The fact that these other cities are doing it, I’d love to see Kitchener follow suit,” said Ward 9 Councillor Debbie Chapman in an interview with CTV News.

It’s still not clear when a renoviction bylaw could come into force, but advocates say they’re not going anywhere until something is done.

“It’s time to actually do something,” said Vogepohl. “We’re going to be here. We’re going to be at the mics. We’re going to be putting more pressure on council to make sure that this happens.”