The following testimonials were told to Richie Assaly and have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Beena Ruparelia and Patricia Gorman
Renters in Etobicoke North, nurse and school bus driver
Beena: My husband and I moved from Oakville to a townhouse in Etobicoke in 2015, and the minute we came in we noticed there were mold issues behind the walls and the toilet. We started sending emails to management, but they kept brushing us off or providing band-aid solutions, like telling us to just open the windows in the middle of the winter.
I’ve been a nurse for 31 years, so I say, “You want me to get bronchitis?” The building is run by a large, billion-dollar company, and all they’ve done is give us a HEPA filter.
Eleven years later, we’re still dealing with this issue. Both my husband and my cat are having respiratory issues. The operations manager recently came to my house wearing a mask, telling me that I’m not cleaning the bathroom properly. But why are you coming with the mask if you think we don’t have any mold issues?
Patricia: I live in the same complex as Beena, and I’m also going through a mold issue. It’s totally visible in my bathroom, and has gotten worse because our windows are leaking. I’ve purchased two HEPA machines to protect myself and my family, but management refuses to do any repairs. We were told that if there is any damage, that we should go through our insurance. But why should I go through insurance when this is due to your neglect?
B: A lot of the tenants in this complex have the same issue, but it really felt like we were on our own, up against this major company. But how do we fight by ourselves? I received an email from the Toronto Tenant Union inviting us to a movie night, and so we decided to check it out.
P: I’d never been involved in this kind of thing before, but Beena invited me to come out to a rally. I started visiting the YSW community hub and found all these resources, and started educating myself about what my rights are. I feel optimistic we can take on this major, multi-billion dollar company.
B: We learned that the union is here to support us, to help us fight. We’ve got pictures, we’ve got proof, and now we need to stand up for ourselves legally. We shouldn’t be living in unsafe homes. Enough is enough.
Sasha Mohammed
Renter in Scarborough, works in sales
I live in a two-bedroom apartment with my family near Victoria Park and Ellesmere. We moved there back in 2008.
By 2017, there were a lot of issues. The bathtub was peeling and there was mold in the caulking. In the kitchen, the sink was leaking and our countertop was breaking down. You couldn’t walk on the floor without slippers or you’d get a sliver.
I put in a bunch of work orders with the management office — our building is owned by Barney River (a real estate investment and property management company) — but nothing happened. Eventually, I got married, and moved out.
Last year, my spouse passed away. I came back home and was shocked to see that nothing had been repaired, even though my family had put in multiple work orders. I thought, you’ve had eight years to do this and nothing has been done?
It’s frustrating. They ignore us, and every few months, there’s a new person working in the management office. Or they’ll tell us that the repair is happening, but then no one shows up. And it’s not just us. A lot of people in this building feel just stuck and miserable.
One day, some folks from the Rowena and Welsford Tenants Association came by, and explained how the tenant union works. I got involved and started to go to meetings, and I learned a lot.
I realized that the only way to deal with this stuff is to work together, to talk to your neighbors. When you have strong foundations, it helps a lot.
We’re working together as tenants now, and things are changing. We’re trying to get people on the same page, teaching other tenants how to create cases, how to file with the Landlord and Tenant Board, and how to submit applications.
Now, I’m a member of the tenant committee with Rowena and Welsford Tenants Association, and a member of the Toronto Tenant Union. I’m still learning a lot, but now I feel like they can’t ignore us like they used to. They can’t bully us anymore.
Barney River did not respond to The Grind’s request for comment.
Celeste Crevier
Renter in Keelsedale, music worker with seniors
When my partner and I decided to move in together, it took us a year and a half to find an affordable place to rent. It took such an emotional toll on me that there were days where I couldn’t get out of bed.
The amount of hoops we had to jump through. Submitting credit reports, lining up different references, plus other demands that aren’t even legal. It was very isolating.
After finally finding a place in Keelesdale—Eglinton West, I started volunteering with a free tax clinic nearby run by the York South—Weston Tenant Union. I didn’t know a lot about the union, but it was there that I finally found the sense of community that I’d been missing.
I got to know my neighbors, and started to understand their struggles. I realized it’s not only about what I’m going through, it’s about what they’re going through, too. And when we show up for others, others will show up for us.
Tenant unions do more than just organize against landlords — we help community members overcome the barriers and navigate the bureaucracies that prevent people from accessing secure housing.
Last year, our volunteer tax clinic helped residents get more than $130,000 in benefits and returns.
One person I worked with was unhoused and had 10 years of back taxes. I helped them get back $9,000. A year later, they thanked me and said, “I have a room, I have a part-time job. Thank you for helping me do this.”
I realized how connected everything is — that if I can make one aspect of this friendly for people, then all these other doors open up. It can seem like everything in this world wants to divide us. But at the end of the day, you’re not alone. You have support.
Sharlene Henry
Renter in Weston, laid off autoworker, co-chair of the Toronto Tenant Union
I was nine months pregnant when my roof caved in. This was 2012. The landlord promised they’d take care of me, told me they’d replace everything. That didn’t happen.
Instead, I had to fight by myself. I went to the Landlord and Tenant Board, but I had no idea how to navigate it. I didn’t qualify for legal aid due to my income and I couldn’t find a housing lawyer to help me. I had no one to lean on.
I guess I trusted the system. You pay your rent, and landlords come and fix things. One day, if you do things right, you get that job, you have children and you get that house. That’s the North American dream. But it doesn’t work like that anymore.
One day, some people from the York South—Weston (YSW) Tenant Union knocked on my door, and said “Hey, there’s a lot going on in this building. Would you like to connect with some like-minded people?”
Turns out it wasn’t just my roof that was the problem, everyone in the building had different issues. Our landlord does minimal repairs, yet we’ve had six above-guideline rent increases. This affects not just me as a mom with three kids, but seniors who are on a fixed income, folks on disability, folks who are working a minimum wage job trying to just make ends meet. This system is not right and is not built to support renters.
I started volunteering with the YSW union, building on both my lived experience, and the collective organizing skills I learned from Unifor, my union at work. It’s been nine years now, and it’s been life changing.
If we don’t organize as tenants in this city, we’re going to get crushed. These corporate landlords have a lot of power, and have politicians in their pocket. They’re not there for the people.
Every person deserves to live with dignity in an affordable home, one that’s free from pests and free from disrepair. People are very energized to win, and we know that we can win through organizing and education.
If we don’t organize as tenants in this city, we’re going to get crushed.