Response to renoviction notices

Thank you for your email about renovictions. 

I recently spoke to CTV on this matter. I was one of several Councillors who worked with Councillor Troster on her motion that was approved by the Housing and Planning Committee on April 10, and I supported it at Council on May 1^st, 2024, where it was adopted.

The motion directed City staff to report this fall on how the City of Ottawa can implement a renoviction bylaw similar to that of the City of Hamilton. 

… WHEREAS on January 24, 2024, the Council of the City of Hamilton unanimously adopted Ontario’s first “anti-renovictions” by-law together with significant related investments to increase staffing enforcement capacity, in order to deter landlords from using renovations for bad faith evictions and to assist in preserving existing housing stock; and 

WHEREAS Hamilton’s Renovation License and Relocation By-law will require a landlord to obtain a renovation license prior to commencing any renovation that requires that an N-13 eviction notice be issued to a tenant under the Residential Tenancies Act, and to provide proof of a building permit and an engineering report confirming that vacant possession of the unit is required to carry out the renovation work; and … 

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED…report back to the appropriate Standing Committee of Council by Q4 2024, with a preliminary assessment of the feasibility of developing a similar “anti-renovictions” by-law in the City of Ottawa 

I also sponsored this motion at Committee that was passed by Council on April 17 2024:

Committee recommendation(s) as amended That Council: 

1. 1. direct staff to assess the merits of a City of Ottawa Acquisition/Preservation fund and/or strategy inclusive of a fund dedicated to acquiring affordable housing, including land, similar to the City of Toronto’s Multi-Residential Acquisition Fund (MURA) and the City of Hamilton’s Affordable Housing Funding (AHFP) Program; and 

1. 2. direct staff to report back to the appropriate Standing Committee of Council with the findings of this assessment in alignment with the long range financial plan consideration and approval for Q2 2024. 

3. approve that the review includes consideration of local priorities and work on land acquisition for affordable housing to date and include engagement with local sector partners including but not limited to the Ottawa Community Land Trust and Ottawa Community Housing. 

In July I teamed up with Ottawa Community Land Trust and I am using development charges funding allocated under the Planning Act to purchase a 10-unit building in Vanier. The purchase will keep rent affordable for the tenants who currently live there and for anyone who moves in in the future.

Thank you again for sharing your concerns. Part of addressing the housing crisis is preventing homelessness before it occurs. I will continue to work with other Councillors to do all I can to end the practice of renovictions and scale up non-market affordable housing across the city.

Sincerely,

Stéphanie Plante

Councillor

Ward 12 – Rideau Vanier

This post is also available in French.