Today ACORN launched their People’s Platform at a rally at Queen’s Park. They are demanding action from the McGuinty government on a number of issues which affect low and moderate income Ontarians such as:

Improving Tenants Rights (Implementation of a landlord licensing system and a 5 year moratorium on rent increases)

Immediately implementing a $10 Minimum Wage (And tying it to inflation)

Regulating Predatory Payday Lenders (Implementing a maximum interest rate of 60%)

Improving Addiction Services (Increasing funding for addictions services)

Dealing with Poison Lead Paint (Establishing a lead remediation fund for high risk communities)

Improving Immigrant Rights (Accepting credentials of foreign trained workers)

Improving Community Access to Public Schools (Removal of cost and procedural barriers)



There were a number of speakers from the NDP, including MPP for Beaches-East York Michael Prue, MPP for York-South Weston Paul Ferreira and MPP for Parkdale-High Park Cheri DiNovo. They spoke passionately about the above issues, particularly noting that McGuinty’s $40,000 a year raise has taken priority over the $10 minimum wage increase.


Michael Prue and Paul Ferreira

However, it was the testimonials from community members which made the rally truly memorable. People who have been trying unsuccessfully to get slum landlords to fix their heat and water. People who are working three low wage jobs simply to make ends meet. People who have come to Ontario, professional training from their country of origin in hand, unable to find employment in their field. People who are trying their best to provide for their families, and who are met at every turn with inscrutable bureaucracy and stony indifference. Many spoke of the need to get low income persons out to vote, evidenced by the ACORN slogan ‘Today We March, Tomorrow We Vote!’ Go to Rosedale or Forest Hill, one community member from the Jane-Finch area proclaimed, they have almost a 100% voter turnout! What if we could do that for low income communities? What would happen then?



Most interesting was the make up of the rally attendees: I can’t remember when last I have been to such a diverse rally. The majority of rallies in this city are largely white, and I was pleased to see strong representation of South Asians, Afro-Caribbeans, Latin Americans and East Asians. There were also many seniors in attendance, as well as young children, who appeared to thoroughly enjoy themselves. Significantly, there were a number of people from high risk communities in North Toronto, which may be due in part to Paul Ferreira’s presence.



This rally was well timed; we are a mere seven weeks away from a provincial election. Kudos to ACORN for truly reaching out and effectively mobilizing a wide variety of groups to bring these key issues to the attention of all Ontarians.



All photos by Liza Badaloo
Liza Badaloo is a regular attendee of anti-poverty demonstrations.

1. ACORN are poverty pimps who try to get $10 a month memberships out of Toronto’s poorest tenants and they know nothing about the law.

   I would avoid these people like the plague.

   They only look for pushbutton issues to fund their business.

   You can get free tenant information from great groups like the Federation of Metro Tenants’ Associations http://www.torontotenants.org without having to pay anything.

   Posted by  on  08/26  at  02:22 PM

2. The NDP’s Paul Ferriera wants to raise rents on all tenants no matter how poor with a new tax scheme disguised as licensing!

   This new tax would bring in tens of millions of dollars in new money to the government out of the pockets of tenants who are usually tenants because they don’t have the income of property owners.

   I wonder how many poor tenants will support the NDP over this?

   http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/251850

   MPP wants to license landlords

   August 31, 2007
   Carol Goar

   From the street, it didn’t look like a bad building. The windows weren’t broken. The balconies weren’t corroded. The property wasn’t an eyesore.

   But inside, the signs of neglect were obvious. There were mould spots on the walls, exposed pipes with loose insulation hanging from the ceiling and drywall that didn’t quite cover the water-damaged plaster. The lock on nearly every apartment door was broken. The stairwells smelled.

   “I’ve seen it worse,” said Paul Ferreira, MPP for York South-Weston.

   The rookie New Democrat, who won his seat in a by-election last February, brings skeptics to this apartment block to convince them that Ontario needs a landlord licensing system.

   He is not a welcome visitor at 1775 Weston Rd. He was once forcibly removed from the premises.

   But he keeps going back, knocking on doors, asking tenants if their pipes are fixed, their appliances are working and their kids are safe.

   Some tenants are afraid to answer. Some reel off lists of complaints.

   Some are resigned to the bugs, the break-ins and the general state of disrepair.

   On a recent visit, a young mother with a 1-year-old girl in her arms said she had to put the baby’s dresser out on the balcony to keep the cockroaches from crawling all over her clothes.

   A 74-year-old man who’d lived in the building for 30 years said it was a nice facility in the beginning. Then the owner sold it. Now it’s been through a string of absentee owners, including the current landlord, Vincenzo Barrasso of Montreal. “You get the leaks, the water stains all over the place and the mice,” he said. “I just grin and bear it. It’s kinda late to change addresses.”

   Ferreira doesn’t claim his licensing scheme would solve all of these problems. But it would give tenants protection against negligent landlords.

   Under his proposal, the province would set minimum health and safety standards for all multi-unit residential buildings. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing would enforce these standards.

   Last spring, he put forward a private member’s bill, calling on the government to establish such a program. It was defeated 23 to 8.

   The Liberals said there was no need for provincial involvement. “Municipalities have the power and the authority to set up this kind of licensing system now, if they want to do so,” pointed out Housing Minister John Gerretsen.

   Ferreira acknowledges that this is true. But having the power to act is of little use without the resources to run the program, he contends.

   The Conservatives said licensing landlords would drive up rents and penalize responsible apartment owners.

   “It will mean more red tape and higher costs,” warned housing critic Ernie Hardeman.

   Ferreira tested this argument on his constituents. He asked tenants in dozens of buildings whether they’d be prepared to pay an extra $2 to $5 a month to live in a clean, well-maintained apartment. The vast majority said yes.

   If he is re-elected this fall, the 34-year-old New Democrat will redouble his efforts to get landlords licensed.

   Posted by  on  08/31  at  08:51 AM

3. ACORN is a membership organization of low and moderate income Canadians who organize to win social justice and build stronger communities. ACORN is organized like a community union with neighborhood chapters taking action to win the changes they want to see in their community and working with the other chapters across the city, province and country to win structural change on working family issues. As only a true community organization can be we are funded, run and responsible to our low income membership.

   To learn about ACORN check out
   http://www.thestar.com/article/249635
   http://www.canada.acorn.org

   Posted by josh  on  09/04  at  08:22 PM

4. I am looking for someone to come to Montreal to testify on West Property Management, Mr. Vinczeno Barrasso,lanlord. I have been in court for the last 6 years, and they have been postponing, dodging, and using intimidation tactics to try to get out of paying or settling the case. My rights were violated numerous times and I am standing up for all the tenants who are too afraid to do so.
   Thank-You
   Please advise by e-mail

   Posted by  on  09/26  at  06:50 PM

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