Roughly 30 per cent of Ottawa residents rent their homes – that’s approximately 300,000 people. This includes folks from all walks of life, including PSWs, teachers, artists, retail workers, students and seniors.
And last week Ottawa City Council finally did something meaningful to help protect tenants, after years of advocacy from the community and from my office.
The Rental Renovation Licence Bylaw was passed by a huge majority last Wednesday. It’s a tremendous milestone for our city and elegant in its simplicity. The bylaw doesn’t prevent landlords from doing renovations. It simply insists that they show their construction permits before issuing eviction notices to tenants. And when they do, they need to provide a city-produced tenant education guide to the people being displaced.
For honest landlords, this bylaw should not serve as an impediment. Because if you are completing renovations on your property that are significant enough to require vacant possession, you are going to need a permit anyway. What we are doing here is calling bad landlords’ bluff – so there will be serious fines if all you do is evict a tenant, paint the walls, and jack up the rent.
In the last 10 years, rent has gone up 60 percent – more than double the rate of inflation. And right now, we are losing 31 affordable apartments for every one we build. This bylaw will cost the city roughly $55,000 a year to implement and will cost landlords nothing. Meanwhile we have more than 3,000 people experiencing homelessness in our city, and it costs $26,000 per person, per year for the city to pay for someone to live in a shelter.
The number one profile of a person impacted by a renoviction that we see in my office is a senior woman. Imagine being 75 years old, having worked hard and paid your rent for your whole life, and suddenly having to move into a homeless shelter. That is not hyperbole. The folks from the Ottawa Mission are telling us that this is what’s happening. And what’s worse is that people who have finally escaped shelter and found their own apartments are getting evicted and ending up back in shelter a second time. No one wants to see this continue to happen.
To all the advocates who fought so hard for the renoviction bylaw: Ottawa ACORN, the Council on Aging, the Alliance to End Homelessness, Community Legal Services Ottawa, the Advocacy Centre for Tenants in Ontario, and The Ottawa Mission: thank you.
We did this together. And I know we will not stop fighting – together – for the rights of renters in our city.
Warmly,
Ariel
Ariel with Matt Ottaviani from the Good Companions Seniors’ Centre, celebrating 35 years of the grocery bus.
Celebrating 35 years of the grocery bus
Earlier this week, I was thrilled to join the team from the Good Companions Seniors’ Centre and Massine’s on Bank Street to celebrate 35 years of the grocery bus. The bus is paid for by store owner Dave Massine, and it picks up seniors at their homes for a bi-monthly shopping trip. It turns the simple act of grocery shopping into an opportunity for community and social support. Congratulations to all the volunteers who have kept the grocery bus running for all of these years. If you know any seniors who may benefit from this program, check out the Good Companions website.
Ensuring no more “lost” citizen feedback
I want to thank all of the Centretown residents who wrote to me and came to Planning and Housing Committee to share your frustration over the fact that city staff “lost” a significant amount of correspondence about the proposed development at 267 O’Connor. This appears to have been a back-end technical glitch, but the fact that this happened is not okay. I have been in conversation with staff to ensure that this does not happen again in future consultation processes.
I regret that the committee couldn’t hear all of your perspectives before voting and I may have voted differently if that had been an option. Echoing what Chair Leiper wrote, there were no apparent reasons for Planning and Housing Committee or Council to vote against this development, according to the Ontario Planning Act. It was not the will of the committee to prevent this development from going forward.
To my knowledge, a significant number of the criticisms expressed in the lost correspondence were concerned with the traffic impacts and sustainability of the development. These are very fair concerns, and I take them seriously. The site plan is still in development, and I am going to actively work with city staff to ensure we are taking all possible steps to mitigate the traffic impacts on the surrounding neighborhood and the O’Connor bike lane, as well as ensuring that the building meets environmental standards.
I welcome continued feedback about this issue. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with my office if you want to continue the conversation.
New Canadiana Block on Sparks
The City of Ottawa, in collaboration with the Downtown Business Improvement Area (BIA) unveiled the Canadiana Block earlier this month on Sparks Street. It features a series of ground murals painted down the centre of Sparks Street, between Kent and Lyon streets. Each of the 13 sweeping landscapes depicts the breathtaking beauty of one of Canada’s 10 provinces and three territories.
Artists Dan Bergeron and Gabriel Specter worked tirelessly throughout June painting the project, which is titled Coast to Coast to Coast. Canadiana Block is part of the city’s ongoing commitment to beautifying, enhancing and animating its public spaces. Innovative and engaging public projects, including public art, help elevate the downtown experience for workers, residents, visitors and businesses. Be sure to drop by Sparks Street to check out these stunning murals.
Upcoming Street Seats events
Street Seats is bringing free summer programming to Centretown and Chinatown, with music, performances, workshops, family activities, community meetups and more.
Coming up this week
Have an idea of your own? You can apply to use a space for a free public activity, or pitch us on a paid programming opportunity through the submissions page.
Youth age 11-18 ride OC Transpo free all summer!
From July 1 until August 31, pre-teens and youth aged 11-18 ride for free on OC Transpo buses, trains and Para Transpo.
Learn more and set up your Presto Card online here.
City seeking public input on commemorative naming proposals
The City is inviting residents for their feedback on three separate commemorative naming proposals to:
Learn more and provide your feedback here.
August 10: Virtual Public Consultation on the Kent Street Functional Design Study (Somerset Street to James Street)
You are invited to a virtual public information session to discuss a functional design study for Kent Street from Somerset Street to James Street. The project limits have been reduced and will only include the segment of Kent Street proposed for integrated road, sewer and watermain renewal. During this session, the City of Ottawa will present the updated project scope, planning context and revised functional design. Staff will be present to answer any questions and receive comments. Please register to receive the link for the online session.
Accessibility is an important consideration for the City of Ottawa. If you require special accommodation, please contact the Project Manager to provide your feedback.
The City has put together a new “Who To Call” list for residents. For a printable version of this list, click here.
On Wednesday, Ottawa’s Planning and Housing Committee put bad landlords on notice by voting in favour of a renoviction bylaw that will crack down on unjust evictions.
Heat-related illnesses and deaths are preventable. There are many public places residents and visitors can cool off in Ottawa and also ways to cool off at home even if you do not have air conditioning.