Fed up with the attitudes and policies of Ontario Housing, some Regent Park tenants have been meeting since late last fall to try to find ways to pressure OHC to recognize tenants’ rights.

The group’s most visible action to date came on December 15, when a dozen tenants crowded into the office of Kevin Gaul, the area supervisor for North Regent Park, to protest an eviction notice delivered to a tenant.

The tenant, Joy Wade, had moved into Ontario Housing some time ago with her two young children. Her three other children were living with her mother. However, in late 1976, Ms Wade’s mother died and her other three children came to live with her. Ms. Wade immediately approached OHC to tell them of the situation, and was told to apply for a transfer to a larger unit. She went through all the paperwork, waited for months, and then got an eviction notice for “overcrowding” her two bedroom apartment. However OHC told her, as soon as she left OHC, she should re-apply to get in and she would have a good chance of getting in!

This was followed by a long round of going to every level of OHC appeal. OHC head office on Bloor Street told her to go to her area supervisor in Regent Park; her area supervisor told her to go to Bloor Street.

It was this run-around that brought the tenant’s group into the OHC office at 45 Gerrard last month. But many tenants in the group, which is now meeting weekly, have various causes of complaint against OHC, many of them with transfers.

Most are highly dissatisfied with the way OHC has been treating them and have been finding that they are getting nowhere through the “proper channels”. They are now looking for other channels to get their message across. If you are interested call Mary or Albert at 961-2673 or check the community calendar in 7 News for the time and place for the next meeting.

Published in Seven News, Volume 8, Number 16, 14 January 1978

Related topics:
Public housing