Read on Twitter
Politicians pass the buck by bringing up "jurisdiction." So, let's talk about that.
Only the provincially-mandated Landlord and Tenant Board has the authority to order an eviction. But evictions are felt at a municipal level. https://twitter.com/herongatetc/status/1286312833890779137
Only the provincially-mandated Landlord and Tenant Board has the authority to order an eviction. But evictions are felt at a municipal level. https://twitter.com/herongatetc/status/1286312833890779137
"In January [2020], the City of Ottawa declared a homelessness emergency. Ottawa is spending $109 million on housing and homelessness this year [2020], including funding for social housing, housing subsidies and youth initiatives."
https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/hotels-2-homes-campaign-calls-on-federal-government-to-buy-hotels-to-house-ottawa-s-homeless-during-pandemic-1.4916967#:~:text=Alliance%20to%20End%20Homelessness%20Ottawa,hotels%2C%20to%20become%20affordable%20housing.&text=OTTAWA%20%2D%2D%20The%20Federal%20Government,during%20the%20COVID%2D19%20pandemic.
https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/hotels-2-homes-campaign-calls-on-federal-government-to-buy-hotels-to-house-ottawa-s-homeless-during-pandemic-1.4916967#:~:text=Alliance%20to%20End%20Homelessness%20Ottawa,hotels%2C%20to%20become%20affordable%20housing.&text=OTTAWA%20%2D%2D%20The%20Federal%20Government,during%20the%20COVID%2D19%20pandemic.
"The city pays about $3,000 per month to put a single family up in a hotel. This year [2018], the city has overspent its budget by nearly $6 million to house homeless families." https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/homeless-family-motel-1.4939329
The total cost of the city's 10-year housing strategy is more than $1 billion. Allowing landlords to evict tenants for rent arrears due to lost wages and lost jobs during COVID will only add to this. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/city-ottawa-ten-year-housing-homelessness-refresh-1.5617263
Ottawa saw a 12% increase in market rent in 2019, the 8th highest rate of cities in this country. https://www.reminetwork.com/articles/canadas-hottest-rental-markets-january-2020/
Family homelessness has increased 55% from 2014–2018. https://documents.ottawa.ca/sites/documents/files/Homelessness-Report-ENG_2018.pdf
In 2018, @ottawacity spent $9.3 million renting hotels and motels as emergency shelters. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/city-considers-building-new-shelter-launches-competitive-process-for-emergency-space-at-hotels
Evictions may be provincially mandated, but they are felt and enforced at a city level. @JimWatsonOttawa can direct OPS to not enforce evictions. The City has emergency powers it can use to prevent a wave of evictions from rent arrears built up throughout COVID. Will he do it?
