Ending unjust renovictions, Chinese New Year, recycling changes, and more!

That was the message that members of Ottawa ACORN brought to Planning and Housing Committee this week, discussing new data about the impact of evictions due to renovations in Ottawa. City staff produced a report about the number of renovictions in our city, demonstrating that there was an 800 percent increase in N13 notices issued to tenants between 2010 and 2023. Still, the actual number of notices filed at the Landlord Tenant Board during that period seems quite low – only 32.

The data from the LTB only tells part of the story. One ACORN member talked about how all 120 tenants in his building received letters saying their leases would be ended because the landlord supposedly needed to do major renovations. In most cases, a strongly worded letter and the threat of an N13 was all it took to convince people in rent-controlled apartments to leave in exchange for a meagre cash settlement. Rents went up from $600 for a bachelor apartment to nearly $2,000. And the only noticeable repairs made to the apartments were purely cosmetic: a fresh coat of paint, maybe a new kitchen counter.

Two of the ACORN members who spoke at Planning Committee are senior women – both have lived in their apartments for 20 years or more and live on fixed incomes. If they were forced to find a new apartment at current market rent, their housing costs would be more than their monthly income – likely driving them into homelessness. In both cases, the tenants fought back: organizing rallies, press conferences and letter-writing campaigns. And thanks to support from ACORN, they were able to stay in their homes. But most of their neighbours did lose their housing – something we hear about in the Somerset Ward office time and time again.

These renovictions are contributing to a shocking erosion of affordable rental housing in our city. According to a 2023 study by Carleton University professor Steve Pomeroy, Ottawa is losing 31 affordable apartments for every one we build. A huge driver of this loss is the lack of provincial tenancy control, meaning that landlords can jack up the rent in any apartment when they get a new tenant. This creates an incentive to evict long-term tenants and take advantage of skyrocketing rents.

That’s why I have been pushing so hard for a renoviction bylaw. Other cities like Toronto and Hamilton have already enacted new rules to try and curb unjust evictions. In Ottawa, city staff are in the process of writing a Rental Renovation Licence By-law and we expect it to come back to council in the spring.

Listening to ACORN delegates at committee this week, I was reminded how citizens can have an impact on city decision-making simply by telling their stories. Because sometimes even politicians like me need to be reminded of who we are fighting for.

Warmly,

Ariel

Ariel with June Girvan from Black History Ottawa, at the Heritage Day celebration at City Hall this week

Results of the Vulnerable Social Infrastructure By-law consultations have been released

The City of Ottawa is considering regulations to provide for safe access to vulnerable social infrastructure like places of worship and religious centres, community centres, schools, daycares, and care homes.  

As part of this process, the city hosted public consultations, including a survey and Ekos poll. Results from the public consultation have been published, you can view the reports online here.

Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade

Enjoy red envelope blessings, interactive moments and colourful displays along the closed parade route. Starting at the iconic Chinatown Gateway, this joyful event is a must-see celebration of unity, tradition and festive fun.

Date: Saturday, February 21

Time: 12:00PM

Location: Somerset West between Bronson and Bell

Your waste collection day may change starting March 30

Starting Monday, March 30, your waste collection day may change due to the City’s new curbside collection contract. All your waste including garbage, organics, leaf and yard waste, and recycling will still be picked up on the same day but about half of Ottawa households will have a new collection day. 

To see if this impacts you, view your collection calendar online or in the Ottawa Waste Collection Calendar app. If you are affected by this change, you will see your updated collection day on the week of Monday, March 30 and beyond. 

City of Ottawa summer job recruitment

The Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services Department offers many opportunities for energetic and talented candidates looking to take on new challenges. Variety, growth, and benefits are just a few reasons why the City of Ottawa is consistently ranked as one of the National Capital Region’s Top Employers and Canada’s Best Diversity Employers!

Whether you are a student, recent graduate, mid-career professional or semi-retired, there are part-time, full-time, temporary and seasonal positions posted throughout the year that fit many schedules. Some part-time competitions are open to candidates who turn 15 years of age by the end of the calendar year. Criteria appears in the application process on the job website.

Browse available positions online here.

Housing Forever Bonds

Does the housing crisis feel overwhelming—too big for one person to change?

Every day in our city, families are being priced out of the neighbourhoods they love. Seniors worry about staying in the homes they’ve known for decades. Young people wonder if they’ll ever be able to put down roots. The pressure is real, and it’s growing.

That’s why Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation (CCOC) and the Ottawa Community Land Trust (OCLT), two local housing nonprofits, have come together to take action. Together, we’ve launched Housing Forever Bonds, a powerful way for our community to be part of the solution.

Housing Forever Bonds give individuals, organizations, institutions, and local businesses the opportunity to invest directly in permanently affordable housing and earn a financial return while helping ensure that families, seniors, and workers can continue to live with stability and dignity.

This is more than a financial investment. It’s an investment in neighbours, in stability, in belonging and in the kind of city we want to pass on to the next generation.

Be part of the solution. Invest in a Housing Forever Bond today—and help secure affordable homes for our city, forever.