Defending our homes, together.
Whether it’s a building, neighbourhood or city, the same rule applies: we are stronger together than alone. Across the GTA, thousands of working class tenants are organizing together to improve people’s lives. Organizing has prevented landlords from issuing eviction notices and stopped landlord’s threats and harassment. We’ve made a good start but our struggle isn’t over yet.
Landlords may not be able to evict us now but they will try when the eviction moratorium ends. No tenant should lose their home because of COVID. Not now, not ever. Throughout the first week of June tenants across the city will be carrying out actions to make demands directly to our landlords. We will only accept a clear commitment that no one will face eviction for being unable to pay rent during this crisis.
On June 9, tenants across the city will meet at Queen’s Park to show landlords and the government that evictions for rent unpaid during COVID will not be accepted. Social distancing will be strictly followed. Masks will be mandatory. COVID-19 has hit our neighbourhoods hardest and we won’t increase that threat. Tell your neighbours. Organize a carpool from your building.
Our organizing can’t end on June 9. It must grow and spread. If the eviction suspension ends, we will be prepared to act. If the Landlord and Tenant Board re-opens, it will be up to us to defend each other. If they try to evict any one of us, we will need to stop it.
We can protect our health and safety against the threat of eviction. But only if we stay together. We have the strength and intelligence of thousands of working class people in our buildings and neighbourhoods.
Organizing means building relationships and making commitments to each other. This is what we can rely on in hard times. Join with your neighbours. You’ll have our support and we may need yours.
There may be organized neighbours in your area that you can join. Or you may have to start that organizing yourself. Either way we can help.
We are in this together.