Rent In the Era of COVID-19: An Interview with Victoria Tenant Action Group

By Florian Castle

On the 25th of March, John Horgan’s NDP government outlined their plan for dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic. The government’s plan was swiftly condemned by Lekwungen territory-based tenant advocacy organization Victoria Tenant Action Group, or VTAG. VTAG’s statement described some of the issues with Horgan’s proposal, most notably the complete insufficiency of their rent subsidy of $500 per month which would cover only a third of the average monthly rent in Greater Victoria.

Toronto tenants organize “Keep Your Rent” campaign during pandemic

By Ivan Byard

This article was originally published in the April 1-15, 2020 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading socialist newspaper

Workers, especially low-income tenants, are being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite social distancing, they’re organizing to put their rights and needs ahead of landlords’ profits. Parkdale Organize, a membership-based group of working class people who organize to build neighbourhood power in Toronto’s Parkdale area, has called for tenants to “Keep Your Rent on April 1.” The campaign comes on the heels of the Ontario Superior Court March 19 decision to place a hold on the enforcement of residential evictions, and the subsequent decision of the Toronto the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) to suspend hearings.