Toronto renters gather this weekend to launch first citywide tenants union

Renters from across Toronto are set to gather this weekend to launch a citywide tenants union.

The founding convention of the Toronto Tenant Union will take place Saturday. It will bring together tenant groups, associations and individual renters aiming to coordinate efforts to improve living conditions.

Sharlene Henry is co-chair of the York South-Weston Tenant Union, one of the groups involved in organizing the event.

“We want folks to be able to live with dignity and unfortunately that’s not happening for a lot of people,” she told CBC Toronto. “We’re coming together to push this movement forward.”

In recent years, tenants from various buildings have started collaborating with each other in the face of rising rental costs and affordability concerns.

On Saturday, the convention will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton Catholic Secondary School. It will be followed by a rally outside the Crossways rental complex at 2340 Dundas Street West.

The convention will include discussion about the union’s structure and priorities, as well as a vote to formally establish the organization. 

The labour movement has been a key influence in shaping the union so far, Henry said. 

“Labour unions teach us how to organize, how to participate in collective actions, how to join a picket line, and do a rally,” she said.

Advocates involved in the effort, like Joshua Shaw with Climate Justice Toronto, say the push for a citywide union is also tied to wider issues, including climate impacts on housing.

“Our belief is that [your home is] where climate is felt most acutely by people of Toronto,” he told CBC Toronto.

“It’s when a heat wave comes through and your apartment is at 30 degrees and you’re getting sick because you can’t sleep without a fan,” he said, adding that housing conditions can directly affect people’s health.

Organizing at a citywide level could also help tenants push for broader policy changes, Shaw said, adding that tenants need a group “advocating on the big stage.”

Tension between Toronto renters and landlords is nothing new. 

What are rent strikes and do they work? | About That

But Tony Irwin, president and CEO of the Federation of Rental Housing Providers of Ontario, feels it has intensified in recent years.

He acknowledged that there are financial pressures on tenants, but he emphasized that many landlords are also feeling the strain.

“Many people are struggling,” Irwin told CBC Toronto. “I think it’s fair to point out that the cost to operate buildings — property taxes, insurance, maintenance — continues to go up.”

At the same time, he feels most tenant and landlord groups have the same ultimate goal: “[We] want the same thing — stable, affordable, quality rental housing and a system that works predictably and fairly,” Irwin said. 

Varun Sriskanda, a board member with the Small Ownership Landlords of Ontario (SOLO), agreed. “The goal is to create a level and fair rental housing market,” he told CBC Toronto. 

Sriskanda and SOLO support tenant unions, but he said the two sides need to make an effort to work together. “Let’s sit down, let’s talk, and let’s figure out how we can work together to advance rental housing in Ontario,” he said. 

Saturday’s convention will also provide tenants from across the city with an opportunity to talk about their struggles and, hopefully, recognize they aren’t alone, Henry said. 

“Once you become involved and meet other folks, [you realize] you might be going through the exact same situation,” she said. “But it’s being able to speak to it, to educate yourself, to be able to say, ‘No, I’ll do something.'”

She hopes the convention will give renters a stronger collective voice going forward.