The Cadre -+

9 March 1999

Evictions soar in Toronto

30,000 Ontarions evicted from their homes

By CARLA TONELLI! AND ANDREW SUNSTRUM

TORONTO (CUP) — Stu- dents are outraged to hear that more than 30,000 Ontarians have been evicted from their homes since the provincial government brought in the new Tenants Protection Act last June.

Dreading the worst for students who frequently move from apartment to apartment, activists last sum- mer predicted that the loos- ening of legislation for land- lords to hike rents and then evict tenants would be bad news for students.

Under the Tenants Protection Act, a landlord may hike the rent on any empty unit to whatever price he deems fit.

Applications for evic- tion filed by landlords from June 1997 to June 1998 totaled 65,050. That figure rose by 550 to an estimated 65,600, expected for June 1999.

“It’s really depress- ing,” said Jane Harvey, a tel- ephone councillor for the Federation of Metro Tenants’ Associations.

She says about 100 people call every day to ask for advice with how to deal with threats of eviction and landlord harassment, prob- lems exacerbated by the de- regulation of rent rates.

“{The Tenant Protec- tion Act] has definitely wors- ened the situation,” she said. “Now there is more power for landlords to enforce evic-

tions. Our phone is ringing all who are

i and there’s nothing we can do.”

University of Toronto -

student Naomi Savage was evicted last month when her landlord took her to the Housing Tribunal so he could use her apartment for per- sonal use.

Savage is outraged that it was so easy for her landlord’s wishes to be ap- proved by the tribunal, which is staffed by provincial gov- ernment appointees, not judges as was the case before the introduction of the Ten- ants’ Protection Act.

“When we were at the tribunal it was very a to me to see the rate at whi tenants were being evicted,” she said, adding that at least four other people were evicted the same day as she

was.

In addition, the added bureaucracy at the tribunal makes it especially difficult for immigrants or students without legal aid to make heads or tails of the system.

There has been a 15 per cent rise in evictions in Toronto alone since the new legislation was brought in last summer, says the To- ronto Action for Social Change.

Group member Mathew Behrens says the time has come for new hous- ing laws. “We need to go back to rent controls and real

tenant

students continue to say the new legislation isn’t work- ing, the Ontario

maintains that evictions shouldn't be a threat, as long as rents are met on time.

grounds for eviction have not changed,” he said.

“I’m not sure that the numbers are up. We wouldn't expect the numbers to change under the new legislative re- gime,” he said, adding the assistance that is provided from the tribunal office is at a higher level than previously provided by the courts.

Carol Kiley, of program development a the tribunal, admits the appli- cations for evictions are ex-

to have risen by 550

'y June, but denies the new

law loosens the reins on land- lords.

“It’s not easier to evict now than it was under the court system,” she said. “The law itself has not changed. The tribunal is more accessi- ble and easier for tenants to defend themselves and it’s administratively simpler.”

But students say there’s nothing simple about making it easier to hike rents when the summer rolls

i

Chris Ramsaroop, eT diaaicicetin council, says one way to the legislation is to cated on the facts,

National News 15

Cost recovery programs for __ Canadian universities

By MARY VALLIS

VICTORIA (CUP) -- Concerns about full cost recovery programs being offered by public universities are increas- ing across Canada. i In British are FO pe phere no new ‘or government ing are forcing many to develop creative funding solutions. But those solutions may not always be in ts’ best inter- ests because of their i ties, according to Maura Parte,

a ive of the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS).

“Institutions are trying to wrestle with not having

enough money to start up new s and trying to serve industry,” she said, pointing out the high cost of new programs a barrier between students and their aca-

demic Cost recovery do not violate the provincial eabdisateb besten katy Go tik retake 0 foe increase. Instead, new programs are established with higher-than- average rates of tuition that is designed to cover their total cost, which allows the university to expand its course se- lection with little or no impact on its operating budget. Sandra Guarascio, president of the University of Vic- toria’s graduate students’ society, said that while the cost recovery model is l, it violates the spirit of {tie cz perfectly lega sp is isa of getting the statutory mandate of a tuition cee” the seid. pointing out that the freeze is meant to ensure post-secondary education remains afford- able for students. Last summer at the University of British Columbia, students objected to the cost of a two-year genetic | counseling mas’ program, which was being offered at a cost of to post-graduate students, making it the most expensive program on campus. In response, a com- eae plaice — yar level, although it has yet to make recommendations for ; And in Montreal, Concordia’s executive master’s pro- gram is being offered for a mere $42,000. _ That's not to mention two new master’s that are be- ing offered by the University of Toronto this year at $25,000 each: a master’s in telecommunications and a master’s in mathematics.

What's most disturbing to Parte is that UVic is the

een aoe eee. coe aie holdout in the province in terms in ink "hea wdioted cat’ 8 corporate

academics director shares Parte’s concern.

/hy are we getting into the habit of offering courses with a ko renee '?” asks Zaenker.

cost recovery model a “slippery slope”

to higher tuition. ert

stretches the of accessible public edu-

eae ncrerann tiroagh He mandats of a