🚀 go-pugleaf

The public hearings into the Harris government's "Tenant Protection Package"
begin in Toronto the week of August 19th, and will continue through the
first week of September in other cities in Ontario.

Of course since the report on which the changes are based was done purely
in consultation with landlords and developers, it is not impartial.
I wonder if the government is going to listen to the public at all or if
this is just so they can say they consulted with the public and then
carry out the changes they planned on anyways and the Hell with what's
good for the people or what the people want.

The government is claiming that Rent Controls are being "continued" for 
all tenants, but they have added an additional word, that being "sitting".
Rent Controls are being continued for all sitting tenants, but whenever
a tenant moves the landlord will be able to increase the rent on the unit
by an unlimited amount to the new tenant.  Since the government's own
report says that more than 25% of all tenants move each year, in just a
few short years, the majority of units will have been permitted at least
one totally unregulated rent increase.  And the politicians are claiming
this will not lead to rising rents!

This will also have secondary effects such as:
Those who want to move to be a reasonable distance to a job or a new job may
no longer find it economically feasable since the new landlord will be able
to charge them whatever they want (and with only a 0.8% vacancy rate, the
landlords are in control of the market,) and a person in a bad (even
violent and potentially fatal,) relationship may find they can not afford
to move.  Is this the brave new world Harris has planned for us?