Several community organizations working with marginalized members of our community are expressing concern about 90 Carden St. after tenants report having received eviction notices from the new owners, who took over in June.
A numbered corporation based out of Vaughan purchased the building, which includes the Stationview Apartments, at the end of June for over $8 million dollars, property records show. The beneficial owners aren’t publicly listed, and attempts to reach identified directors Mina Guirguis and Maged (Mike) Hanna were unsuccessful.
So far, it’s unclear what they plan to do with the building. However, as a low-income building, many of the people who live there would likely have nowhere else to go, agency workers say.
“We have heard a lot of rumors about people receiving cash payouts to leave their accommodations and evictions notices for the remaining tenants as of Aug. 1,” said Royal City Mission executive director Kevin Coghill.
“All of this is extremely concerning. We know many vulnerable people who have chosen to take a payout that will be gone very quickly, leaving them with no options as we enter the fall and colder months. Those being evicted will also be faced with very limited housing options in the colder season.”
This has created an increase to the problem of homelessness, as many tenants have moved out and set up in encampments around the city, said Jennifer Windsor, whose partner lives in the building, where she often stays.
“There’s only like 10 of us left or something,” she said. “There are people with no places to go.”
But tenants being asked to leave don’t have to leave unless a legal process is followed.
Tenants have different rights depending on the type of notice given, and don’t have to leave as a result of the notice, said Anthea Millikin, lawyer and executive director of the Legal Clinic of Guelph and Wellington County, which provides free legal advice for low-income people in Guelph and Wellington County.
Legal processes must be followed, and then only the landlord and tenant board can order an eviction, after which only the sheriff can enforce, she said.
“If any tenant is being asked to leave or being offered any money to leave, we recommend that they speak with us. Or if they’ve received any notices. It’s a free and confidential conversation, so that people know their rights before they sign anything,” she said.
While she can’t speak to any particular case, Millikin said she and her team are concerned about the possibility of people becoming homeless and losing their housing.
“People who may be in a very vulnerable position are going to continue to be even more vulnerable,” she said, noting that a number of community agencies and partners have shown concern about the situation and are looking for solutions.
“This represents a loss of affordable housing in the downtown core. And that's a huge gap and going to exacerbate the crisis that already exists,” she said.
