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Ladies and gentlemen, we are that movement. We are collecting voices and building resistance to the dangers of gentrification, neighbourhood by neighbourhood. When we resist together, we can be heard, When we don’t, we remain victims of a municipality which is disinterested in the livelihood of tenants across the city. As mediators and communicators, T.E.N.T. informs neighbourhoods at risk of gentrification, and develops unity amongst residents by providing the resources they need to mobilise around their collective interests

Torontonians Empowering Neighbourhood Tenants “We must confront all kinds of initiatives that relate in one way or another to gentrification. To actually win control of the planning process is simply beyond our means. That would require a bigger and more powerful movement.�

- John Clarke, Ontario Coalition Against Poverty

Don’t be Fooled!

John Clarke Discusses the Consequences of Gentrification

In a recent interview with T.E.N.T., OCAP representative, John Clarke discussed the dangers that gentrification poses to neighbourhoods like yours. Know the warning signs! Know what to do!

“Gentrification is the process of replacing poor, working-class neighbourhoods with middle-class, professional neighbourhoods, involving the driving out of low-income housing and homeless people alongside the development of upscale residential neighbourhoods. As well as driving out the people in the neighbourhood, it is a process that drives out local businesses, as well.”

“In a gentrified neighbourhood, there aren’t many jobs, but there are lots of professional, middle-class people who buy up the property, thus transforming the neighbourhood into a dormitory community for middle-class professionals. This results in displacement and an attempt to drive out the people who live there, as well as their services and businesses.”

“We have a city council that answers to the needs of the developers and answers to the needs of the wealthy. They want to consolidate wealth downtown and create enclave of poverty in the suburbs.”

“To the communities that are being purged by gentrification, affordable housing has become a crisis. Housing prices have been pushed up, and single-family dwellings have become inaccessible to all but the rich.”

LINK TO TRAILER

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkthP3JPZ7o&feature=youtu.be LINK TO FULL VIDEO

TIMELINE OF GENTRIFICATION

2009

2011

2015

Attention Sterling Street Residents: We have been keeping an eye on your current residential development over the

past few months. From the friendly newspaper article in declaring the Sterling street neighbourhood a 'cultural mecca' in October 2015, to the very changed tune of gentrification through raising rents that are pushing fellow artists and

local members out of the neighbourhood described as 'The Price of Being

Trendy' in January 31, 2016. But this neighbourhood like many others within any

city is not the first to go through the hardships of gentrification and so it is time to understand that there are options to overcoming or at least being a part of the

neighbourhoods change. Neighbourhoods and organizations around the city are trying to take control of the situation, so let us take a look at your options at what can be applied to your neighbourhood in terms of strategies and tactics and maybe those who you should contact for further advice.

TAKE BACK THE LAND PARKDALE NEIGHBOURHOOD LAND TRUST (PNLT)

This group takes a very direct route in forming and shaping their community.

They strive to empower community members by making sure that the land and space is being used in the best interest for its people whether it is through the creation of green park space, affordable housing or for local businesses.

Community members meet at consultation sessions where the community makes decisions about spaces and also highlights key spatial and residential

issues. This project is under the Community Land Trusts (CLTs) model that is a strategy outlined by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Groups under this model are non-profit organizations that acquire land usually through donations and grants and then lease the land to other non-profit organizations for affordable housing or community space.

www.pnlt.ca & https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/inpr/afhoce/afhoce/afhostcast/afhoid/fite/colatr/

GET LEGAL PARKDALE COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES (PCLS)

Besides aiding community members in legal disputes from domestic violence to

labour, the PCLS helps to organize the community to campaign against unjust

landlords. They work closely with the Parkdale Tenant's Association (PTA) mentioned below and there strategies include, publicity campaigns, lobbying, and organizing local tenants to campaign for housing polices, or to campaign

against rising/unlawful rent attempting to be enforced by landlords. A recent legal

victory for PCLS alongside an organized group of tenants was when tenants where awarded $50 000 as a group to cover the damages in these tenants

apartments after the building's superintendents had been dismissed and

maintenance problems arose after a month of questionable service. http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/07/27/tenants-work-together-receive-compensation-after-superintendents-removed.htmlt

COME TOGETHER PEOPLE'S DEFENSE / PARKDALE TENANT'S ASSOCIATION

The power of the mass and the important sense of belonging within a community, a spatial identity is what the People's Defense strives for in

attempting to assemble tenant associations. They focus on one building, and go door to door to bring together tenants and provide them a way to assemble and

organize as a united front against injustices committed by landlords, whether in terms of rent to maintenance and safety. Tenant associations are proven to work i.e. the West Lodge Tenants Association, which provides a website for its tenants

with links to possibly needed tenant resources, and then also the latest in tenant and housing articles provided in the news. They stay informed and in 1990 also organized and had a successful rent strike. http://www.parkdaletenants.ca

ONTARIO COMMUNITY AGAINST POVERTY (OCAP)

A group that rallies for the people that are often not well heard in society or given much thought in politics, OCAP protests strives to create change for especially

the working and poor class. They worked alongside groups in Parkdale to combat the threat of Parkdale's gentrification. They understand the city, the people and the clear lines between right and wrong and want to make a difference.

Parkdale is a prime model of the time and organization required to combat the frustrating issue for gentrification. But the major lesson to be taken away from their example is that fighting a spatial issue can only occur when those within that space come together.

STERLING FACTS AND MEDIA NEWSPAPER ARTICLES STERLING.RD TURNS ANOTHER PAGE / FORMER INDUSTRIAL ZONE A CULTURAL MECCA

http://www.pressreader.com/canada/toronto-star/20151024/282200829776 011/textview

THE PRICE OF BEING TRENDY

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/visualarts/2016/01/31/some-sterling -road-artists-facing-steeper-rents-plan-to-move-on.html

TENANTS OF 213 STERLING RD. ARE ECLECTIC AND SPIRITED

http://www.pressreader.com/canada/toronto-star/20160131/281921657074 794/textview

IS THE LOWER JUNCTION TORONTO'S NEWEST NEIGHBOURHOOD?

http://www.blogto.com/city/2016/03/is_the_lower_junction_torontos_newe st_neighbourhood/

STERLING STREET RESIDENTS JOIN US FOR A NEIGHBOURHOOD MEETING A P R I L 14 , 2 016 THE STERLING SOCIAL @ 8:00PM

C O N N E C T W I T H OT H E R R E S I D E N T S

M E E T OT H E R C O M M U N I T Y AC T I V I S T S

LEARN ABOUT TENANTS始 RIGHTS

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CONTACT US: TENT.TO T.E.N.T TORONTO TENT-TO.CA TENT.TO TENT.TO@HOTMAIL.COM

INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK WEBSITE TWITTER EMAIL

LET MAYOR TORY AND CITY COUNCIL KNOW THAT YOU WANT YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD TO REMAIN YOURS.

DISTRIBUTE THIS PETITION AMONG YOUR NEIGHBOURS. TEAR THE PERFORATED PAGE AND RETURN IT TO US AT THE TOWN HALL MEETING. AND JOIN US AS WE HAND THEM TO CITY COUNCIL NEXT MONTH

FULL NAME

NUMBER or EMAIL

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