An Urgent Message for Doug Ford and Steve Clark:
Enact legislation stopping the payment of rent on April 1st for all residential tenants in Ontario!
Due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, people across the province of Ontario people are facing layoffs, work closures, and public health directives to stay home and self-isolate or practice social distancing. This is causing significant financial hardship for working families across the province – and it is only the beginning. Experts believe that this will not be resolved in the coming weeks. The province of Ontario has taken important steps by banning evictions and enacting legislation to protect the jobs of workers who need to stay home because of COVID-19. But it is not enough. For most people, not working means not earning sufficient income needed to pay for the necessities of life.
Shelter represents the single biggest line item in most household budgets. In recognition of these facts, the federal government has announced measures to defer the payment of mortgages for homeowners. We need a similarly comprehensive approach to help renters through these unprecedented times.
That is why we are calling on Doug Ford, premier of Ontario, and Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, to support public health and protect those who are the most vulnerable in the face of this crisis, by enacting legislation waiving the payment of rent on April 1st for all residential tenants in Ontario.