QUEEN’S PARK – Hamilton East—Stoney Creek MPP and NDP Poverty Reduction critic Paul Miller says ‘renovictions’ are worsening the housing affordability crisis in his riding, and pushing Ontarians across the province into poverty and homelessness.
“Rent prices are getting brutal and many people from Hamilton East and Stoney Creek are livid. Frankly, they have a right to be. I recently heard from my constituent Kevin, who said that they are forcing people out of his building by buying his neighbours out and jacking up rent prices. Management is justifying high increases after making minimal cosmetic changes. This activity has recently been coined a ‘renoviction,’” said Miller on Wednesday.
“It’s not just happening in Hamilton. This is a systemic problem across our province, everywhere you look. We have got to make a change here. We need to close the renoviction loopholes.”
Miller says the link between the housing crisis and poverty is clear, and urged the government to support his Private Member’s Bill which would help ensure social assistance rates keep up with the cost of living in communities across the province.
“Our province is condemning Ontarians to a life of poverty and homelessness – pushing them out of their apartments with high prices, and giving them no resources to help themselves,” said Miller.
“My Bill 30 would help to solve this problem. It would create an evidence based research commission to recommend what social assistance rates need to be year to year and in each region. If we passed Bill 30, another part of the problem would be solved.”