ACORN MEMBERS DISCUSS RENT INCREASES, TENANT ORGANIZING AND BANK FEE REFORMS

On March 5, the Downtown Toronto chapter of ACORN Canada held its monthly meeting at the Wellesley Community Centre. The meeting brought together members and community residents to discuss housing affordability, tenant rights and upcoming organizing efforts.

ACORN is a national advocacy organization that works with low- and moderate-income residents. Founded in 2004, the organization now operates more than 30 local chapters across five provinces.

The discussion opened with Stacey Semple, chair of the Downtown Toronto ACORN chapter, who highlighted the growing number of Above Guideline Increases (AGIs) affecting tenants across the city. AGIs allow landlords to raise rents above the provincial guideline if they claim major repairs or capital expenditures.

Semple said that although AGIs are legal, they often place additional financial pressure on tenants already facing rising housing costs.

Jonah, a chapter member, noted that there is little public information on how frequently landlords apply for AGIs. He suggested that tracking these applications could reveal patterns of repeated rent increases in specific buildings.

Jonah also said that while a single AGI may appear small, multiple increases over time can significantly raise rent costs. According to ACORN Canada reports, the number of AGIs has increased by 107 per cent over the past several decades.

The conversation then turned to possible tenant responses, including rent strikes. ACORN organizer Ty Riches said rent strikes can be effective because they directly impact landlords financially, but they can be difficult to coordinate.

Riches noted that some tenants who receive social assistance have their rent payments sent directly to landlords. This arrangement can make it harder for those tenants to participate in coordinated rent strikes.

Later in the meeting, Chxristopher, a tenant at 748 Bathurst St., shared their experiences since moving into the building.

They described the property as operating more like a rooming house than a typical apartment building, with individual rooms rented out instead of full units. According to Chxristopher, this creates frequent turnover and makes it difficult for tenants to know their neighbours.

Chxristopher also raised concerns about unfinished areas in the building and questioned whether the property was fully ready for occupancy. They said the landlord does not use the standard Ontario lease agreement and appears to target newcomers when renting rooms.

They have contacted a legal clinic to better understand their rights and determine whether the landlord’s practices comply with tenant regulations.

Semple encouraged Chxristopher to continue documenting conditions in the building and to connect with other tenants experiencing similar issues. Members also discussed plans to organize tenants at 748 Bathurst.

The meeting concluded with several organizational updates.

Semple told members that ACORN representatives recently met with city staff to discuss reforms to the RentSafeTO program, which regulates apartment building maintenance standards in Toronto. She said staff appeared reluctant to adopt some of the stronger reforms proposed by ACORN.

A follow-up meeting between ACORN members and city officials is scheduled for March 18 at 6:30 p.m. at Toronto City Hall in the Members’ Lounge.

Another update came from Amie, a local ACORN member, who highlighted a recent advocacy win related to bank fees. Beginning March 12, financial institutions will no longer be able to charge uncapped non-sufficient funds (NSF) fees on overdrawn chequing accounts.

Instead, fees will be capped at $10 and accounts that are short by less than $10 will not incur a fee.

ACORN will also host a tenant rights workshop on March 12 at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom. The session will provide guidance on rent increases, building compliance and other tenant protections.

Key takeaways

• On March 5, the Downtown Toronto chapter of ACORN held its monthly meeting at Wellesley Community Centre to discuss tenant issues and advocacy campaigns.

• Members raised concerns about the increasing number of Above Guideline Increases (AGIs) and the financial pressure they place on tenants.

• A tenant from 748 Bathurst St. shared concerns about building conditions and leasing practices, prompting discussion about organizing tenants in the building.

• ACORN members also discussed updates to the RentSafeTO program and a new federal cap on non-sufficient funds (NSF) banking fees.

On-the-ground observations from our documenter, Jack cochrane

Community members in attendance were largely supportive of the strategies developed at the meeting, pHearing about 748 Bathurst was genuinely shocking. While I have thoughts on a lot of the issues raised in this meeting, Chxristopher’s descriptions of what is happening in their building absolutely took up most of my attention. It made me reflect on how vulnerable people (eg., the elderly, disabled, immigrants) can be in these kinds of buildings and how easily issues can go unnoticed. 

At the same time, I felt encouraged by the fact that tenants like Chxristopher are already documenting what’s happening and starting to connect with neighbours and organizations like ACORN. It gives me hope that through the organizational efforts to come, they can gain some control over an incredibly difficult situation.

CHECK YOUR FACTS

• NSF Fees- Government of Canada
• DT Meeting Agenda 
• RentSafeTO Article- CBC
• Next Meeting Flyer
• Tenant Advocacy Flyer and Findings- ACORN
• AGI Report ACORN
• Facebook Tenant Right’s Workshop Event 
• Zoom Link for Workshop