I am deeply concerned that…

I am deeply concerned that Bill 60 threatens to strip away essential tenant protections and weaken Ontario’s housing justice system. I strongly recommend removing Schedule 12 that amends the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006. The proposed changes would cut back on the ability of tenants to challenge an unjust eviction order with only 15 days to ask for a review of an LTB order. In addition, tenants will only have 7 days instead of 14 days to pay their rent before the landlord can apply to the LTB for eviction for non-payment. Bill 60, deliberately, creates conditions that makes it nearly impossible for tenants to secure the necessary funding or legal support to save their tenancy. These changes restrict tenants’ access to justice and will lead to increased evictions and displacement. These reforms also make it significantly more challenging for tenants to exercise their right (s.82 of the RTA) to raise their issues, such as serious repairs and maintenance complaints, during a non-payment of rent hearing. When units are in serious disrepair with impacts on tenants’ health and safety, withholding all or part of the rent to trigger an arrears hearing is often the only way to have these issues heard at the Board in a timely manner. Wait times for tenant applications at the LTB are twice as long as landlord applications, which these proposed reforms fail to address. Furthermore, requiring tenants to pay 50% of their arrears to raise their issues assumes that tenants actually owe these arrears before the matter is even heard. I am not a renter and while not directly impacted by Schedule 12, I recognize the proposed amendments will increase precarity of renters further hurting our province. Housing precarity leads to worse outcomes for individuals, and exacerbates poverty, declining mental and physical health and reduces people's ability to be active members of our community and workforce. A province that has a strong economy and high quality of life requires affordable and secure housing for all.