Latest news with #rentcontrolled
CBC
a day ago
- Business
- CBC
Bank Street tenants facing 'demoviction' given 3-week eviction notice
A protracted fight against the "demoviction" of rent-controlled apartments on Bank Street is ending for a group of holdout tenants, some of whom have been ordered to vacate their units by the end of the month. "We're at the tragic end where we have to scramble to go and find a place to live and make sure that everybody's homed, and there's only three weeks to do so," said Julie Ivanoff, a PhD student in architecture who has lived in her apartment for four years. After buying the land in 2022, 211-231 Bank Street Holdings and Smart Living Properties have been seeking to demolish the buildings on a block of Bank Street between Nepean and Lisgar streets. They've wanted to replace several dozen affordable apartments with a nine-storey mixed-use building that includes 263 much smaller and more expensive rental units. About a dozen tenants have fought to remain in their homes, turning down buyout offers they say come from a landlord they don't trust and are insufficient compensation for their stabilized rent. They have also lobbied the city, saying rent-controlled homes are the only thing keeping some tenants from homelessness and that the planned new "micro-units" are no solution to Ottawa's housing crisis. Their last hope was a hearing at the Landlord and Tenant Tribunal in March, but this week some of the tenants received the board's decision, ordering them to vacate their homes by the end of the month. 'Good faith' demolition In the Aug. 6 order that Ivanoff received, and which CBC has seen a copy of, the board ruled that the landlords "in good faith intend to demolish the buildings" and granted their application to terminate the tenancy. Noting that the landlord had requested a termination date in April, the board wrote that "it would be fair to postpone the eviction until Aug. 31." Some tenants have lived there for decades, are reliant on pensions or disability payments, and may face homelessness if they can't find an affordable option within three weeks, Ivanoff said. She said the decision also means the end of both a longstanding artists' hub in the space and a vibrant community of neighbours who met several times a week to organize and look out for each other. "It's brutal to be reduced to a number," she said. "It's like, my income isn't high enough for me to have a greater consideration [in society]. How do you build a community like that?" CBC contacted Smart Living Properties for comment but did not hear back by deadline. The company previously said it had offered tenants the right to return to new apartments at the same rent with $20,000 compensation. The property owner, 211-231 Bank Street Holdings, previously told CBC in a statement that it would be "unreasonable to expect one development project can cater to all the diverse housing needs in the neighbourhood or city." A high concentration of studio apartments in the development, the company said, would "strategically offer lower-cost entry into newly constructed buildings." It also offered a "generous and comprehensive relocation assistance package" to existing tenants, based on feedback from the community. With their options to remain seemingly exhausted, the last tenants met on Saturday to begin preparations for moving out. "What's next is finding a place to live, making sure that none of my neighbours are homeless, seeing if we can find anything that's safe and secure for them," Ivanoff said. Eric Roberts, another tenant who's lived there since 2017, said he wasn't surprised by the decision of the board. He said he'll struggle to afford an apartment without rent stabilization when he's forced to leave. "The rent hike that we are facing on this block — just because these units were fairly deeply rent-controlled — is three to five times what we currently pay," he said. While he supports the goal of providing more housing in Ottawa, Roberts predicted the new units being proposed would likely end up as short-term rentals that most people can't afford. "We need housing that is accessible for low-income households, for seniors on fixed incomes, for students who are struggling with debt," he said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cuomo calls out NYC mayoral candidate Mamdani over rent-stabilized apartment: 'Move out immediately'
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo slammed Big Apple mayoral opponent Zohran Mamdani Friday for living in a rent-stabilized apartment, despite being "very rich." "Somewhere last night in New York City, a single mother and her children slept at a homeless shelter because you, assemblyman [Zohran Mamdani], are occupying her rent-controlled apartment," Cuomo posted to X on Friday along with a video of the lawmaker saying his monthly rent totals $2,300. Mamdani's Former Dem Colleague Rails Against His Signature Campaign Promise: 'Nail In The Coffin' Cuomo, who lost the Democratic primary to Mamdani but is taking him on again as an independent in the general election, called on his opponent to surrender his apartment to someone more deserving of a subsidy. He cited Mamdani's affluent upbringing, more than six-figure income and international property ownership. Cuomo also noted Mamdani's wife is employed — driving their household income even higher. "No matter which way you cut it: Zohran Mamdani is a rich person," Cuomo said in the post. "You are actually very rich. Yet you and your wife pay $2,300 a month, as you have bragged, for a nice apartment in Astoria. That should be housing for someone who needs it." Expert Flips Script On Key Mamdani Housing Problem He Says Will Make Crisis Worse: 'Basic Economics' Read On The Fox News App The former governor also cited New York City's affordability crisis, noting that millions of the city's low-income residents need reasonably-priced apartments. The median rent in New York City has reached $3,397, a nearly $200 increase since 2024, according to "Today, I am calling on you to move out immediately and give your affordable housing back to an unhoused family who need it," Cuomo said. "Leaders must show moral clarity. Time to move out." Andrew Cuomo Talks Rematch With Mamdani, Says Socialist's Policies Will Cause 'Death' Of Nyc Earlier this week, Cuomo called out Mamdani for owning property in Uganda despite the country's anti-LGBT policies. "Up until now, Zohran Mamdani and his campaign have successfully evaded any scrutiny: He talks like Bernie but lives like Bezos," a spokesperson for Cuomo told Fox News Digital in an email. "It turns out handing the keys of New York City to a no-show, do-nothing assemblyman hypocrite is a bad idea. Andrew Cuomo is running to protect our streets, for REAL affordability, and to build a new New York City by giving opportunity to those who actually need it." A spokesperson for Mamdani did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for article source: Cuomo calls out NYC mayoral candidate Mamdani over rent-stabilized apartment: 'Move out immediately' Solve the daily Crossword
