tenant rights

PERSPECTIVES: It’s About Time We Take Our City Back From Corporate Interests 

On March 28, I had the pleasure of participating in the province-wide Fight Ford protests right here in London, Ontario at Victoria Park. I was incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to speak to an issue that Londoners across this city know all too well— our city being an increasingly unaffordable rental market with working-class Londoners priced out of housing by corporate developers and predatory landlords.   Now, with the news that our city has officially earned the unfortunate distinction of having the highest unemployment rate in the country at 9.1%, this housing emergency has become all the more dire.   As…

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“Rodent feces, roach infestations, holes”: London ACORN holds gallery at Walnut Street building

Yesterday, more than 20 London ACORN and community members held a gallery demonstration in front of London Middlesex Community Housing (LMCH)’s 85 Walnut Street apartment building. The event aimed to raise awareness regarding the safety and conditions of units in LMCH, which ranked second in London ACORN’s “Slumlord awards” last month. “There are a lot of issues going on at London housing buildings,” said Sharon Villeneuve, an ACORN member and resident at 85 Walnut Street. “A lot of pest control issues, maintenance issues, safety issues, and they’re not being addressed.” “They’re refusing to have meetings that we have requested. That’s…

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d an ACORN banner

The Slummies: Inside London ACORN’s “slumlord” awards

On July 14, London’s ACORN tenant organizing group held its first “Slumlord of the Year” awards ceremony, a mock award ceremony to call attention to what their survey-based data suggests are some of the city’s worst landlords. Their aim is to encourage the city to hold these landlords accountable.  Over the past several months, London ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now), a tenant advocacy group, conducted a survey of tenants across the city, gathering around 80 responses. Complete with tenant testimonials and bronze, silver, and gold “slumlord” trophies to give to landlords across the city, the awards ceremony…

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ACORN’s Healthy Homes Forum: perspectives on landlord licensing

On May 8, London ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) held a Healthy Homes Forum to talk about the idea of landlord licensing in the city. They invited people from all over the city by canvassing at bus-stops the week before, and attending the May Day celebration held in Victoria Park. Around 40-50 people gathered at the 380 Adelaide St. office where members of the ACORN team reviewed what landlord licensing is. ACORN spoke to how other cities are approaching landlord licensing, dispelled myths about the concept, and attendees shared the issues they face in their own rental…

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