I am writing to express my…

I am writing to express my vehement opposition to the amendments within Bill 60 that directly undermine the fundamental rights of tenants and drastically restrict access to affordable and stable housing in Ontario.
The stated intention of this legislation to resolve delays at the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) is achieved through a false economy: by dismantling the procedural rights that protect tenants, thereby making it easier to displace them. This is not reform; it is a legislative endorsement of renovictions and economic evictions that will worsen Ontario's housing crisis.
1. Direct Assault on Due Process and Tenant Rights
The proposed shortening of critical timelines does not streamline justice; it actively denies justice to the most vulnerable residents.
Curtailing Response Times: Reducing the window for tenants to respond to notices and applications, such as eviction notices for non-payment, removes the necessary time required to secure legal aid, collect outstanding funds, or seek alternative housing. This creates a procedural barrier that disproportionately impacts low-income, disabled, and racialized tenants who already face systemic barriers.
Eliminating Appeal Period: Cutting the deadline to file an appeal against an LTB order (e.g., from 30 days to 15 days) is an indefensible measure that makes it virtually impossible for tenants to access the Divisional Court for judicial review. This effectively limits accountability for LTB decisions, ensuring that administrative errors or miscarriages of justice stand unchallenged, leaving tenants defenseless.
2. Legitimizing Displacement and Eroding Housing Stability
The amendments regarding compensation and notice for "landlord's own use" evictions directly fuel housing instability and predatory landlord behavior.
Removing Compensation: The proposal to eliminate or significantly reduce the requirement for landlords to compensate tenants who are evicted for "own use" is an attack on housing security. This compensation (typically one month's rent) is a crucial and often insufficient lifeline for tenants forced back into Ontario’s severely inflated rental market. Removing it directly translates into increased financial risk and a higher probability of homelessness.
Incentivizing Renovictions: By streamlining the eviction process and weakening protections, the bill encourages landlords to use "own use" and other legal means to displace long-term, low-rent tenants, often to secure the right to charge significantly higher rents to new tenants (above the guideline increase). This is a policy choice that prioritizes profit over the preservation of existing, naturally affordable housing stock.
Conclusion and Call to Action
Bill 60 fails to address the actual problem at the LTB: chronic underfunding, lack of adjudicators, and systemic inefficiency. Instead, it attempts to clear the case backlog by removing tenants from their homes faster.
I demand that the government immediately withdraw all amendments in Bill 60 that weaken the Residential Tenancies Act. A just housing policy must prioritize the stability and affordability of homes over the ease of eviction. The focus must be on investing in the LTB and implementing measures to protect existing affordable rental housing, not on speeding up the displacement of Ontarians.