stopyevictions

[stopyevictions]

Another Death at YWCA: This time a trans woman -- likely committed suicide for being evicted

Protest Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1233135117113006 Yet another death at the YWCA, which has offered no transparency or accountability. Tenants have pieced together: - She was a trans woman living in abject poverty - She was fearful of staff and facing mental health challenges without adequate support - In all likelihood was being evicted and committed suicide This is a long-running pattern of the YWCA choosing relentless evictions (eclipsing even some corporate landlords), instead of providing safe housing and support for its tenants, while also advertising itself as a social justice oriented housing provider. The YWCA is planning a "memorial" for tenants to attend, which many of us find offensive, since we hold them accountable for being complicit in these very frequent deaths. It is emotionally difficult for us to see the same body that we perceive as responsible for deaths, then turn around and cover their ass by organizing these events. We understand that this as a form of systemic abuse. The details of the protest are yet to be announced, but we have an uphill battle in protecting tenants, while also organizing a protest. Most tenants at YWCA are marginalized women and trans folks of color, indigenous folks, and/or escaping homelessness and violence. Staff violence and retaliation are well-known in the building, so we may ask allies to step in to protect tenants from staff reprisal. Please message us if you're able to come or support in any capacity. Tuesday Aug 31st 2pm YWCA Elm Centre 150 Elizabeth Street Toronto Ontario M5G 0B1

[stopyevictions]

August 10: Email Script

Dear YWCA Nominations Committee,

I would like to nominate Abuzar Chaudhary, and YWCA Toronto tenants for a YWCA Woman of Distinction Award.

YWCA Toronto tenants have faced a brutal landlord and are survivors of violence, threats and intimidation at the hands of YWCA staff. These brave women have demonstrated their uncompromising commitment to surviving and improving the lives of women by fighting to ensure that racialized, working class, disabled, queer and transgender tenants are not evicted into homelessness by YWCA Toronto, and by organizing to hold YWCA accountable for their violent and oppressive behaviour, despite huge imbalances of power.

Throughout the pandemic, YWCA Toronto has been busy with self-congratulatory praise, raises and support for staff, while ignoring conditions for tenants, mercilessly evicting marginalized women into homelessness, intimidating, and silencing those who speak up. Terrible living conditions, staff abuse and evictions have resulted in many women dying, severe decline in mental health, and an increase in overdoses.

Despite YWCA Toronto’s failure to act on their public call for rent relief, these tenants have remained steadfast in demanding better living conditions, staff accountability, and rent relief that tenants desperately need. Throughout YWCA Toronto’s refusal to adhere to its own advocacy for an evictions moratorium, these tenants have organized to keep their neighbours housed. In the face of YWCA Toronto’s violent behaviour, intimidation, and unwillingness to negotiate collectively, tenants have continued to be united and undivided, because they want to ensure that not a single neighbour is left behind.

We nominate Abuzar and YWCA tenants for being role models and examples of organized community action and for their tenacity in fighting for real change. This has inspired other tenants to stand up to their landlords and combat evictions during a housing crisis, amidst a global pandemic.

Throughout the pandemic, YWCA Toronto raised $3.3 million in donations and cited $1.1 million in excess funds. This June, YWCA Toronto raised $150,000 during its Woman of Distinction Awards virtual gala. Instead of putting money towards lawyers evicting these commendable individuals and giving huge raises to staff who already make six-figure incomes, YWCA Toronto should use such funds to offer rent relief and negotiate in good faith with tenants collectively, so that they may stay housed.

Should Abuzar and YWCA Tenants be selected for the award, they will donate the entire amount towards rent relief for all of their neighbors, and use the recognition to continue organizing to hold YWCA Toronto staff accountable for their violent actions.

[stopyevictions]

YWCA Toronto Calls for Eviction Ban, Continues Evicting Women Into Homelessness

On June 24th 2021, the YWCA Toronto, a government funded nonprofit housing provider, dragged a tenant before the Landlord Tenant Board, in an ongoing eviction blitz against numerous tenants for arrears during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Like many of her neighbors who have already been evicted, Abuzar Chaudhary, a transgender woman of colour, will be made homeless by the YWCA Toronto’s policy to continue evicting tenants.

“Women and transgender people arrive at the YWCA escaping years of abuse and homelessness, and expect it to be a stepping stone into safer permanent housing. However, alongside the constant threat of evictions, the reality is that many face staff abuse, policing, poverty, and are traumatized,” said Chaudhary. “While receiving government funding, and fundraising from donors, all in the name of assisting women and gender diverse people, the YWCA Toronto evicts that same population back into homelessness.”

The YWCA Toronto has hired Horlick Levitt Di Lella LLP, a male partner-led law firm that specializes in representing landlords, to force through evictions. Despite publicly calling for an evictions ban, rent relief for tenants, and the right to housing, YWCA Toronto stated during the hearing of Abuzar Chaudhary that it will continue to evict residents in arrears throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. YWCA Toronto’s Eviction Prevention Worker, Erum Saleem, further stated that the nonprofit housing provider has not and will not offer rent relief to struggling tenants.

Organized tenants at the YWCA Toronto have set up “Stop YWCA Evictions,” a network of residents and supporters to tackle evictions by the nonprofit housing provider, as well as address issues of security, representation, and conditions at the YWCA buildings.

“Conditions during this pandemic have been terrible for us. Mental health has plunged, overdoses have increased, many women have died,” said Elaine Li. “There are major problems with maintenance and cleanliness in the building. No meaningful support has been offered by the YWCA Toronto to address these issues.”

Stop YWCA Evictions has repeatedly called on senior management at the YWCA Toronto, including CEO Heather McGregor, Sarah Boesveld (Manager of Advocacy), and Jasmine Rezaee (Director of Advocacy & Communications) to sit with them to negotiate an equitable solution to end evictions, provide rent relief, and address the concerns of tenants. The YWCA Toronto has repeatedly denied requests from tenants. 

 “The YWCA Toronto says it’s a housing provider which believes in social justice and empowering and listening to women and gender diverse people— a population severely affected by COVID-19,” said tenant Li. “But what we have seen is self-congratulatory praise by the Y, with raises and support for staff, while we are ignored and thrown out onto the streets.”

As the Ontario Landlord Tenant Board continues its mass evictions, Chaudhary, with community support and represented by the Community Justice Collective, had her hearing adjourned until later this summer. The YWCA Toronto stated that it will still pursue her eviction, as well as the evictions of other residents. Stop YWCA Evictions, supporters, and tenants have made it clear that they will fight tenaciously against all evictions.

                                                    -- 30  --

Media inquiries: Elaine Li, Stop YWCA Evictions, noywcaevictions@protonmail.com 

[stopyevictions]

Letter From YWCA Tenants

YWCA Toronto 87 Elm Street Toronto, ON M5G0A8

Dear YWCA Toronto Executives and Board of Directors,                June 18, 2021

We are neighbours and tenants of the YWCA Elm Center. We write to you very concerned about the possible eviction of our neighbours, many of whom are queer, trans, racialized, and working-class women, through the LTB for arrears that have arisen during and as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We understand that some of our neighbours fell behind in their rent payments during the pandemic. As you know, the pandemic has resulted in horrific economic consequences on working-class people, especially those who were employed in precarious and low-wage work. The pandemic continues to have negative effects on people’s abilities to pay their rent and pay off arrears. Many have still not returned to work.

The YWCA has failed to meaningfully negotiate with tenants about their arrears and instead hired a male-partner led, landlord serving law firm to force through evictions. The money being spent by the YWCA on this law firm should instead be used to provide rent relief and keep people housed. 

In its public communications, the YWCA has appeared to support rent relief, and has been actively fundraising to, in its own words: “play a critical role in providing safe refuge and wrap-around services to help women and children rebuild their lives.” Evicting queer, trans, racialized, and working-class women from their housing during a pandemic is not reflective of this mandate. 

We also read that the YWCA has been committed to the dignified treatment of their employees. The staff’s role, presumably, is to support the women receiving services from the YWCA. It is atrocious that staff were provided with funds allowing them to survive and thrive during COVID-19 while the women they were hired to serve are struggling and dying. 

We call on the YWCA to put its money where its mouth is and treat its tenants with the same dignity it has its employees, with the following commitments:

Withdraw all COVID arrears eviction applications against our neighbours. There are at least four tenants with cases currently before the LTB where the YWCA has refused to meaningfully negotiate before filing eviction applications before the LTB.

Negotiate meaningfully with tenants. Offer rent relief to our neighbours to cut down the amount of rent owed due to the consequences of the pandemic. 

Commit to no COVID evictions for rent arrears and stop the practice of threatening ourselves and our neighbours with eviction everytime there are issues. N4 notices have traumatic impacts on people who have experienced homelessness and/or precarious housing.

Please find attached letters of support echoing these demands from Maggie’s (https://tinyurl.com/45wxt5v7) and the tenant group THRIVE (https://tinyurl.com/ypyf8t6k). Our supporters will stand alongside us to continue to organize to support our fellow tenants and fight their evictions.  

Thank you,

Organized Tenants of the YWCA Toronto Elm Center

[stopyevictions]

June 23nd: Phone and Email Script

EMAIL SCRIPT:

Christina Dorey-Gray | Vice President, YWCA Toronto Board of Directors christina.dorey-gray@rbc.com 

Kelly Goldthorpe | President, YWCA Toronto Board of Directors kellyg@gands.com

My name is ______ and I am a supporter of tenants at YWCA Toronto. I am calling to ask Kelly Goldthorpe and Christina Dorey-Gray to take action and stop the YWCA from evicting racialized, trans, disabled and working class community members into homelessness during a global pandemic. As president and vice president of the Board, you have the power to step in and support vulnerable tenants who need urgent help.  

I have been following the situation closely and see that this is the third week in a row YWCA Toronto will be taking tenants to court over COVID arrears.

With over $3 million in donations and $1 million in excess funds, YWCA Toronto still refuses to negotiate with tenants or offer desperately needed rent relief. The thousands of dollars that YWCA Toronto is currently spending on legal fees could easily be spent on rent relief.

I trust that the Board of Directors will do the right thing and protect these marginalized women and gender diverse people that belong to the community they serve. I will continue to support these tenants and remain invested in holding YWCA Toronto accountable.

PHONE SCRIPT:

Christina Dorey-Gray | 416-974-4311

Kelly Goldthorpe |  (416) 365-5979

My name is ______ and I am a supporter of tenants at YWCA Toronto. I am calling to ask Kelly Goldthorpe and Christina Dorey-Gray to take action and stop the YWCA from evicting racialized, trans, disabled and working class community members into homelessness during a global pandemic. As president and vice president of the Board, you have the power to step in and support vulnerable tenants who need urgent help.  

I have been following the situation closely and see that this is the third week in a row YWCA Toronto will be taking tenants to court over COVID arrears.

With over 1 million dollars in excess funds, YWCA Toronto still refuses to negotiate with tenants or offer desperately needed rent relief. The thousands of dollars that YWCA Toronto is currently spending on legal fees could easily be spent on rent relief.

I trust that the Board of Directors will do the right thing and protect the community they serve. I will continue to support these tenants and remain invested in holding YWCA Toronto accountable.

[stopyevictions]

June 15th Phone and Email Script

EMAIL SCRIPT: Heather McGregor | mcgregor@ywcatoronto.org Sarah Boesveld | sboesveld@ywcatoronto.org Jasmine Rezaee | jrezaee@ywcatoronto.org My name is ______ and I am a supporter of tenants at YWCA Toronto. I am calling to ask why Heather McGregor, Sarah Boesveld, and Jasmine Rezaee are ignoring the demands of tenants evicting our community members into homelessness. Tenants, families and children at YWCA Toronto are not trying to take advantage of you. They need rent relief now – not repayment or deferment plans that will only drown them in debt or force them into losing their homes. You claim to be a progressive, feminist organization dedicated to "transforming the lives of women, girls, and gender-diverse people. So why won’t you offer tenants real help? I am urging YWCA Toronto to do the right thing and withdraw their eviction applications. Offer rent relief and commit to no COVID evictions. I will be watching the situation closely and hope to see YWCA's actions reflect the values that we both share. ----- PHONE SCRIPT: Heather McGregor  | 416-904-0947 Sarah Boesveld |  647-237-7283 Jasmine Rezaee  | 416-961-8101 ext. 321 My name is ______ and I am a supporter of tenants at YWCA Toronto. I am calling to ask why Heather McGregor, Sarah Boesveld, and Jasmine Rezaee are ignoring the demands of tenants evicting our community members into homelessness. Tenants, families and children at YWCA Toronto are not trying to take advantage of you. They need rent relief now – not repayment or deferment plans that will only drown them in debt or force them into losing their homes. I am urging YWCA Toronto to do the right thing and withdraw their eviction applications. Offer rent relief and commit to no COVID evictions. I will be watching the situation closely and hope to see YWCA's actions reflect the values that we both share.

[stopyevictions]

About Us

We are a group of organized tenants living at YWCA Toronto fighting against evictions!

#NoYWCAEvictions #NoCOVIDEvictions #HoldYWCAAccountable