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It's rent day. I haven't paid my rent since March, even though I have the money. People like me have been characterized as free-loaders taking advantage of the pandemic, but my motivation is actually dramatically different: solidarity with my struggling neighbours. [Thread]
In the early days of the pandemic, it wasn't clear how widespread job losses would be, how effectively the government would help tenants or people who were out of work, or how long the crisis would last. It seemed prudent in April to keep our rent and see how things shook out. /
After a few months, two things were clear: first, my partner and I were fortunately going to be okay financially. Although we both used CERB for parts of the year, we've gotten by, we still have our jobs, and we have the full amount of unpaid rent saved in our bank account. /
Second, a lot of our neighbours weren't nearly as fortunate. CERB was woefully inadequate for Toronto market rents - anybody who recently moved in was certainly struggling on $2000/month (less after tax). And the eligibility requirements left lots of people out in the cold. /
One neighbour in my building was ineligible for CERB even though she'd recently lost a job, and her husband's ODSP wasn't topped up in the slightest. They have three kids to take care of. Where was the money for rent supposed to come from? /
All around the city, thousands of people were in similar circumstances. There was a provincial eviction freeze but no talk at any level of government about rent relief. It was obvious that a crisis was coming. /
Today, that crisis is here. The Landlord Tenant Board is open again and cranking out evictions in glitchy online hearings with no semblance of fairness or due process. People are being ordered to repay impossible amounts within weeks or lose their homes. /
Thousands and thousands of people in this city have lost income, lost work, and gone without, and now are facing eviction in the middle of a surging wave of COVID infections. Meanwhile, wealthy landlords are unwilling to forego even the most measly amounts. It's not right. /
That's where people like me come in. We've kept our rent for nine months, and that gives us leverage. We're demanding our landlords forgive rent for people who haven't been able to pay and stop all evictions. In exchange, rent strikers will pay back the thousands that we owe. /
These aren't controversial demands. I talked to dozens of tenants in my building to collect signatures for a letter to our landlord, MetCap. All but one agreed with the demands. MetCap is a highly profitable multi-billion dollar company. We know they can afford this. /
Today, MetCap tenants from across Parkdale delivered our letter to our landlord with over four hundred signatures. We're demanding a meeting with the company's CEO, Brent Merrill, to find a solution to this crisis that keeps tenants in their homes. /
I didn't keep my rent so I could blow the money on beer or a new TV. I kept my rent because I believe that tenant organizing and solidarity is the best way for working-class and low-income people in this city to protect each other and get through this crisis. /
Tenants have been organizing together across the city to stop and slow evictions for months. As winter approaches, this work is more vital than ever! Talk to your neighbours and show up for tenants in your neighbourhood. Demand #NoCovidEvictions - we can achieve it together! /end
