An alleged attempt to renovict residents at a Chatham apartment building has municipal council considering its legal ability to prevent future cases.
Marjorie Crew, a Chatham-Kent municipal councillor representing ward 6, is planning a notice of motion to have staff examine an N-13 bylaw in order to prevent renovictions.
Earlier this month, residents of the Terrace Forty building on Witherspoon Street were served the N-13 document stating they would need to vacate for eight months while upgrades were underway. The 40 residents were also provided the option of an N-11, which offers the tenants $5,000 in cash to end their lease.
N-13 notices have been used unethically to evict low-income tenants from their units, under the belief it was needed to facilitate extensive repairs. Instead, deceitful landlords have hiked the rents without major work.
Crew hopes the municipality can find a pathway to protect "legitimate" landlords, and the rights of citizens.
Councillor Marjorie Crew says the goal is to ensure building owners are actually planning to renovate the property.
"That you legitimately need that unit vacant to do those renovations, and to get permits to do that, and that we guarantee that the folks that are being displaced are brought back within a reasonable amount of time... maybe some compensation to help them as they navigate that."
She's asking for groups in the community to be involved in the discussions.
"I've asked them to have consultation with tenancy advocacy groups, landlord representatives, housing experts, and communities that have this bylaw in place, and why and how it works."
Crew says this will be devastating for the community.
"They're affordable units for people who are on a fixed income like senior citizens, or vulnerable people in our community, and losing those 40 units is exposing 40 units to homelessness."
Implemented in other jurisdictions, such as London, and Toronto, the bylaw has helped ensure landlords take legitimate steps to show they are planning significant renovations.
Crew's motion will be presented a council meeting on Feb. 9, and if approved, will be referred to staff to develop a "made in Chatham-Kent" bylaw.
-with files from CTV Windsor's Robert Lothian