Doug Ford Continues His War on Tenants Despite Pushback
Toronto, ON — Despite the Doug Ford government’s partial reversal on fixed-term leases announced on Sunday, the changes in the Residential Tenancies Act included in Bill 60 will dramatically worsen the housing and homelessness crisis. The bill, which introduces sweeping changes to the RTA, reduces tenants’ rights and access to justice at the Landlord and Tenant Board, while making it easier for landlords to evict tenants.
Bill 60's broader agenda is heavily influenced by landlord lobby groups like the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO). FRPO, which represents major property management companies and real estate investment trusts (REITs), has long pushed for policies that make it easier for landlords to remove tenants and raise rents well above the provincial guideline. These are the landlords responsible for record-high rent increases and evictions in the province.
“Not a single one of Ford’s changes help tenants, they only help landlords evict tenants faster” said Chiara Padovani, co-chair of the York South-Weston Tenant Union. “If Doug Ford cared at all about tenants, he would focus on speeding up tenant applications at the LTB, which take three times longer to have their day in court than landlord application. Bill 60 is nothing more than a direct attack on tenant protections, it will supercharge evictions and drive more Ontarians into homelessness.”
Tenants across Ontario are getting organized, holding building-by-building canvasses, forming tenant unions, and planning rallies and actions against this attack.
As the Ford government moves forward with Bill 60, the message from tenants is clear: Ontario’s tenants are uniting to defend homes and demand a housing system that puts people before profit.
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