Brampton considers measures to maintain rental housing in a condo market

Brampton is considering bringing in rules to preserve rental housing, but a tenant advocacy group is urging the city to do more.

At a planning committee scheduled for tonight (July 7), councillors will look at implementing a bylaw that would force developers to maintain low-cost rental housing instead of demolishing and replacing the affordable units with luxury condominiums.

The city believes the new measures are necessary because of the minimal increase in new rental projects and to maintain the current stock of apartments.

However, ACORN, a group that fights on behalf of tenants, says that recommendations don’t go far enough and that more protection is needed for those currently living in rental housing, many of whom will either be displaced if existing buildings are replaced or will not be able to afford to live in new buildings.

“We are losing more affordable housing than the city can build,” said Peel ACORN Tenant Leader, Tanya Burkhart. “If rental housing is demolished, where will families go, even temporarily? They won’t be able to find housing at comparable rents anywhere else. We need to treat this housing crisis like the emergency it is. The city must take immediate action to pass a strong rental replacement bylaw that ensures tenants aren’t priced out of their communities.”

ACORN and tenants plan to hold a rally before tonight’s planning meeting to press their cause.

The action has been prompted by plans to demolish existing rental housing at 507 Balmoral Drive, where several renters have lived for many years. The developer wants to tear down the existing four-storey building and replace it with modern condos that ACORN says will force “mass tenant displacement.”

As part of new regulations, ACORN wants the city to stop the demolition of the Balmoral building, and, failing that, they want existing tenants to be offered rental housing in the new buildings at the same cost they are currently paying, and have the developer pay for temporary accommodation until the new units are built which could take several years.

The rally starts at 6 p.m. at Brampton City Hall. The planning meeting starts at 7 p.m.