This week United Way, Toronto released “Poverty By Postal Code 2: Vertical Poverty,” a research study partially funded by SHSC. This study examines the quality of living in Toronto’s inner suburban high-rise apartment buildings. It looks at tenants’ housing experiences in these types of buildings and how their health, well-being and connection to their neighbourhood are impacted. The report primarily concerns the housing experience in private rental buildings – though a portion of the tenants interviewed were in social housing for a comparator. While this housing stock is aging and in general need of repair, it has become some of the most affordable housing for Toronto’s low and modest income households in the absence of other options. As a result, the report states that “high-rise apartment buildings are increasingly the sites of poverty within neighbourhoods” and that “high-poverty clusters” have emerged.
As one of the most comprehensive studies of its kind, the report summarizes the housing experiences of over 2800 tenants and is supported by Statistics Canada data as well as interviews with housing experts at the government and community level. According to the study many of the buildings require major and/or minor repairs, particularly elevators; pests and vermin remain a consistent problem; and there are issues of safety and social disorder including drug dealing, vandalism and trespassing — all of which appear to be greater in non-profit housing.
The good news is that in many instances there are strong social connections among tenants and between tenants and landlords in both housing types. Tenants also expressed a desire for change and a willingness to work together, which is an important building block for community revitalization. It also cites developments like San Romanoway Towers, where property owners and managers played an active role in leading positive change in the community by engaging residents in developing and implementing ideas to improve the community.
What does this report mean for the rest of Ontario?
The report emphasizes the importance of ‘home’ and neighbourhoods for tenants in rental housing. As such, its findings and recommendations have broader applicability. Residents of neighbourhoods with declining housing stock and social disorder feel isolated, avoid reaching out to each other and want to leave the neighbourhood – which in turn perpetuates the social disorder. So in other words, if tenants are in adequate, suitable and affordable housing, they will have greater satisfaction with their housing and a stronger connection to their neighbourhood.
Given these findings, the report also makes 26 recommendations, which may impact or influence housing policy in Ontario, below are some of the highlights:
This report makes it clear that in Toronto the concentration of poverty is creating a deep geographic divide. Without a concerted effort from all levels of government, as well as tenants, landlords, and the non-profit sector the trend of growing income inequality is likely to increase, and not just in Toronto. A lack of adequate, suitable and affordable housing will continue to put pressure on the non-profit housing sector as demand for affordable housing continues to increase. This report is a significant contribution to housing research in Toronto and we hope that the United Way make their data available for further research.
SHSC will work with its partners towards supporting the recommendations of the report where it is well positioned to do so. It will also continue to support research which benefits the social housing sector and is both people-focused and evidence-based.
In November 2009, the Ontario Court of Appeals decided that landlords cannot require tenants to complete snow removal tasks as a condition of their leases.
The situation began when a tenant commenced a legal action against a respondent landlord for damages after she slipped and fell on the premises. The tenant claims that she slipped on ice on the walkway leading to her basement apartment. But in his defence, the landlord argues that the tenant is “responsible for keeping their walkway and stairway clean (including snow removal)” based on the Condition of Lease.
Well, Ontario Court of Appeals made a decision on the case, Montgomery v. Van. The Court found that landlords cannot require tenants to complete snow removal tasks as a condition of their leases as it violates the Tenant Protection Act. The Residential Tenancies Act Regulation 517/06 seems to impose similar maintenance obligations on landlords. If landlords want them to clear their own walkways, driveways, etc., they must enter into a separate contract with the tenants for snow removal.
Feel free to leave a question or comment below regarding this court decision.
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