September 30, 2003

During this campaign, the Liberal party has confirmed and improved their policy on rent control.

However, the policy still does not call for a rent freeze or roll back and they continue to discuss vacancy rates in connection to possible de-control.

"Vacancy rate discussions are a trap for politicians cleverly set by the landlord lobby", said Dan McIntyre, Program Co-ordinator. "It is the worst false signal since Y2K".

The vacancy rate has gone up because landlords have created an artificial rent market that keeps young people out, that keeps retiring people out, that forces newcomers to share housing, and makes condominium purchasing a better option for many.

"In fact" says McIntyre "we have lost 17,000 rental units in the GTA according to recent census data". Meanwhile, landlords continue to squeeze existing tenants for annual increases well above the level of inflation.

We have talked to many candidates during and before the election. We have been promised a role in the development of new policy and legislation.

Tenants have made this issue a priority in many hotly contested ridings. The winners on Thursday must be held to account and we will be pushing fast and hard for meaningful true and permanent reform.

The Tenant Protection Act has been a nightmare for tenants. What will we be waking up to?