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Affordable housing for vulnerable Scarborough tenants in market rental housing has been an ongoing issue, one greatly exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. For some, the pandemic has meant the loss of employment and income, leaving many struggling to pay their rent. Housing advocates estimate about 10% of tenants may be in arrears. These challenges are made worse for some vulnerable tenants by abusive landlords, maintenance issues, and unfair rent increases.
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"Housing advocates estimate about 10% of tenants may be in arrears."
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Through community engagement, SCAN has learned that many tenants do not know their rights and are not aware of programs and resources intended to support them like the Rent Bank, the Tenant Defense Fund, RentSafeTO or legal clinics. When tenants face wrongful eviction, unfair rent increases and other challenges, our supply of affordable housing is threatened, leaving many vulnerable communities even more vulnerable. The growing affordable housing crisis must be addressed by holding onto the supply of affordable housing we already have alongside building more affordable housing.
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A key part of addressing the affordable housing crisis is community programs and services that equip tenants with knowledge about their rights and resources so that tenants can realize their “right to a safe, secure, affordable home in which they can live in peace and dignity and realize their full potential,” the first principle of the City of Toronto’s Housing Charter.
-Cynthia Dumont on behalf of the SCAN Stewardship Group
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SCAN TENANTS' RIGHTS WORKSHOP: MARCH 23
Scarborough residents are invited to sign up for a free online Tenants' Rights Workshop to be held on Tuesday March 23 (6:30-8:00 pm). The Center for Equality Rights in Accommodation (CERA) will provide an overview of Ontario housing laws and tenant rights. Attendees will also learn about SCAN's Affordable Housing campaigns. This workshop has been organized by the Scarborough Civic Action Network (SCAN) Affordable Housing Campaign Advisory Group. Register here by March 23, 5:00 pm.
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SHORT VIDEOS: LEARN ABOUT POLICIES & PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT TENANTS & AFFORDABLE HOUSING
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AFFORDABLE HOUSING ISSUES IN SCARBOROUGH
Listen here to housing advocates, Regini David and Kim Marshall provide a comprehensive overview and understanding of affordable housing issues facing low to moderate income tenants in Scarborough and learn about solutions.
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According to housing advocates, tenants’ knowledge about their rights forms the first and most effective line of defense against evictions and other landlord abuses that might subject them to lose access to affordable housing.
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SCAN'S ASK TO CITY COUNCIL: Based on the deputations done by Scarborough residents, SCAN has called on City Council to fund a Proactive Tenant Engagement Program for Scarborough in the poorest neighbourhoods to actively connect with vulnerable tenants and support tenant education and connect tenants to resources provided by the City of Toronto and other levels of government.
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COMMUNITY HOUSING HELP CENTRES IN SCARBOROUGH
- Agincourt Community Services Association (ACSA) - Housing Help Program. Provides housing supports for clients including men, women, youth, seniors and families. More info here.
- The Housing Help Centre. Offers housing help services to a broader scope of clients, including seniors, families and couples. More info here.
- Malvern Family Resource Centre – Housing Support and Referrals for Families in Scarborough. For more info, email Housing Coordinator
- Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities - Housing Help Services. Assists individuals and families who are homeless or facing eviction. For more info, email Homelessness Intervention Coordinator
CITY OF TORONTO RESOURCES
- Emergency Energy Fund (EEF): Low-income Toronto residents may be fit for help from the City of Toronto with energy-related emergencies to reconnect, prevent disconnection, or help in the payment of late or missing energy payments for hydro, gas or oil services. More info here.
- Renter Help Information. The new renter help section on the City of Toronto's website organizes tenant information in one place. Tenants, advocates and service providers can access the portal to learn about tenant rights and responsibilities, how to fight an eviction, City rental assistance and eviction prevention programs, the RentSafeTO program, accessing emergency housing and more. More info here.
- City of Toronto's Rent Bank program will be piloted as a grant program for one year. See more details here
ADDITIONAL HOUSING RESOURCES
- ACORN Canada. This is a multi-issue, membership-based community union of low and moderate income people that believes that social and economic justice can best be achieved by building community power for change. Members of the organization have the power to make decisions to set plans of each group. More info here.
- Centre for Equity Rights in Accommodation (CERA). This is a not-for-profit charity that advances the right to adequate housing by serving clients to help them stay housed, providing education and training about housing rights and advancing progressive housing policy. More info here.
- Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO). CLEO makes clear, accurate and practical legal information to help people understand and exercise their legal rights. CLEO does not give legal advice. More info here.
- Federation of Metro Tenants’ Association (FMTA). FMTA is a non-profit organization which advocates for better rights for tenants. The FMTA hotline (416-921-9494) answers specific questions that tenants have about their rights or options under the law. More info here.
- Legal Aid Ontario. Legal Aid Ontario provides legal help in English and French for financially qualified low-income Ontarians. More info here.
- South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALCO). SALCO is a not-for-profit legal aid clinic providing services to low-income South Asians in the GTA. More info here.
- West Scarborough Community Legal Services. Offers a variety of legal services to low income residents who live in ‘west’ Scarborough (East of Victoria Park Avenue, West of Midland and South of Steeles Avenue East) and who qualify financially. More info here.
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The City of Toronto is currently developing a Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan called SafeTO which aims to shift the focus to a culture of prevention and prioritizes four identified areas to bring about a safer Toronto:
- community trauma
- community violence
- harm and victimization
- community justice
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SafeTO aims to shift the focus to a culture of prevention to bring about a safer Toronto.
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Recently the City of Toronto held several community consultations regarding gun violence. The information gathered will inform the direction and priorities in the development and framing of a potential Gun Violence Awareness Initiative.
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Gun Violence Awareness Initiative Survey before March 31, 2021
Complete an online survey to provide community feedback, express interest and inform the directions and priorities of the working group that will consist of community members, community agencies and City staff in implementing Gun Violence Awareness Initiatives.
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Scarborough residents have consistently identified the cost of public transit as a priority issue. In a region of Toronto with few rapid transit options and long commutes owing to suburban design and transit planning and service, more needs to be done to meet the needs of Scarborough transit riders. Transit equity measures like the 2-hour transfer for many in Scarborough provide little benefit given that long rides and limited transit options make it difficult to hop-on and hop-off to run errands and get the most out of one fare.
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Long commutes and limited transit options will continue to define the transit reality for Scarborough for the foreseeable future given the recent news that the Scarborough RT will shut down in 2023.
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Scarborough transit riders will need effective measures to cope as buses become the predominant mode of TTC service in Scarborough including:
- More and better bus service to meet the needs of Scarborough communities
- A 3-hour transfer and other fare measures to offset the inequities created by limited transit options and long commutes and also to incentivize public transit use
- More funding for service in transit deserts
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Virtual Town Hall on TTC Transit Plans for Scarborough Center: March 22. Organized and hosted by Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson with special guest, Rick Leary, CEO of TTC. Submit questions or concerns to councillor_thompson@toronto.ca.
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Scarborough Subway Extension. Metrolinx held a virtual question and answer session about the Scarborough Subway Extension on March 15. Watch a recording of the event here.
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TTC Bus Garage Opens in Scarborough. According to the TTC, the McNicoll Bus Garage will help accommodate growing ridership and the TTC’s expanding bus fleet with a capacity to store and maintain up to 250 buses. See more info here.
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Learn about transit in Scarborough. Listen to Jamaal Myers of Scarborough Transit Action provide an overview of Scarborough transit here and learn how you can get involved in transit advocacy initiatives in Scarborough.
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TTCriders' Training Summit for Fair Fares: Thursday, April 15, 2021 (6:30-8:30pm). TTCriders is organizing “Transit Story Circles” to speak with riders and develop demands and proposals to share with TTC. The goal is to get more people involved in creating proposals to share with the TTC and their 5-Year Fare Policy review. Register here.
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COMMUNITY VOICES: SPOTLIGHT ON ACTIVISM IN SCARBOROUGH
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Scarborough resident, Jamaal Myers shares, in his own words, his path to civic action for better transit service in Scarborough.
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"I started organizing for better transit for Scarborough when I realized my grandma couldn't use the bus stop near our house because there wasn't a crosswalk to access it safely. I've crossed this street thousands of times to use this bus stop and I never saw it as 'unsafe' until I saw it through my grandmother's eyes. The barriers she faced to accessing transit in Scarborough started me on a journey of trying to understand how and why people access transit in Scarborough and what prevents them from doing so.
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"I've crossed this street thousands of times to use this bus stop and I never saw it as 'unsafe' until I saw it through my grandmother's eyes."
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I started organizing in 2018 for better and more equitable transit for Scarborough because of people like my grandma. Along the way I've met an amazing group of community leaders who love our community and don't accept the status quo of inferior transit for Scarborough. The most important thing I've learned about organizing for transit is that our voice matters. For us to get the transit we deserve, we need all of Scarborough's diverse, multiethnic, and multicultural voices speaking loudly and persistently at the decision-making table."
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In light of International Women’s Day and International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in March, some facts about Scarborough to keep in mind as we work to address inequities:
- Almost 75% of Scarborough’s population identifies as a ‘visible minority’ or racialized. The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as 'persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour.' Source
- Northern Scarborough, home to many racialized and immigrant communities, has seven of the poorest of Toronto’s neighbourhoods but not one has an NIA designation. Source
- Scarborough has had some of the highest rates of COVID-19 cases in Toronto. Source
- Throughout the pandemic, women’s rights advocates have raised concerns that Scarborough's working poor including racialized, immigrant women have been at risk with the high number of COVID-19 cases. Source
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42 Voices. Do you live in Malvern, Scarborough? Join our fun and engaging resident group to better our neighbourhood. We need help with event planning, research, social media, outreach, graphic design and more. Email 42voicesm@gmail.com.
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Social Assistance Coalition of Scarborough (SACS) consists of social assistance recipients, legal and policy professionals. SACS discusses issues related to social assistance and how they impact the needs of Scarborough residents. SACS advocates for an increase in social assistance rates. See report that discusses how this can happen without increasing caseloads.
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SCARBOROUGH COMMUNITY COUNCIL
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SCARBOROUGH COMMUNITY COUNCIL. The Scarborough Community Council (SCC) is made up of all city councillors for wards in Scarborough and meets monthly. The SCC's responsibilities include making recommendations and decisions on local planning and development, as well as neighbourhood matters including traffic plans and parking regulations.
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APRIL 2021 MEETING: To be held on Friday, April 23, 2021 starting at 9:30 am. Watch the meeting here and see agenda here. To register to speak at this meeting, email scc@toronto.ca or phone 416-396-7287.
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DEPUTATIONS. At SCC meetings, residents can speak about local planning and development proposals including applications to build rental housing or condominium complexes and the impact of such proposals and/or the needs of the community. Listen to a deputation by the Birchcliff Village Community Association speak here (23:46) about concerns regarding a development proposal.
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ROAD SAFETY. A recurring and ongoing issue that residents have spoken about for years is pedestrian safety. Residents across Scarborough are concerned about speeding cars and the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users. Listen to Scarborough residents do deputations here (starting at 2:02:00).
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Win a prize! This month, you can win a brand new copy of Becoming a Citizen Activist. To be entered in the draw, before 5:00 pm on March 31, 2021, email scarboroughcivicaction@gmail.com and share one idea that can be implemented at the neighbourhood or community level that would help to foster more civic engagement among racialized youth in Scarborough to address inequities like the affordable housing crisis.
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