Tenants in 'nerve-wracking' game with landlords despite Ontario's moratorium on evictions - Action News
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Sudbury

Tenants in 'nerve-wracking' game with landlords despite Ontario's moratorium on evictions

Ontario's pausing of residential evictions amid the pandemic is a half-measure that isn't stopping orders for tenants to move out, says the executive director of the Sudbury Community Legal Clinic. At least one tenant sees a "bleak-looking future" for anyone facing eviction.

30-day evictions pause may end without warning, advocate says

Monique Woolnough, executive director of the Sudbury Community Legal Aid Clinic, says Ontario's pause on tenant eviction orders doesn't go far enough. (Jamie-Lee McKenzie/CBC)

The executive director of the Sudbury Community Legal Clinicwelcomes the Ontario government's pausing of residential evictions amid the pandemic, but says the half-measure doesn't go far enough.

"All that is stopped is that the sheriff cannot enforce eviction orders," Monique Woolnoughsaidabout the 30-day pause tied to the province's stay-at-home order, whichtook effect Thursday.

I do believe the circumstances need to be a lot more serious right now to go ahead with evicting somebody.- Steve Lane, tenant

"That means that people are still having eviction hearings. Eviction orders are still being issued. Many people will continue to move around in the community because 30 days is not that long. The sheriff might be at your door at 31.'

Woolnough noted that between March and August, there was a full stop to most landlord tenant hearings.

Landlords wanting to issue evictions had to convince the landlord tenant board, and then a Superior Court judge, that they're justified.

Woolnaugh said the new measures don't address the ongoing movement of people through the community, which would increasethe risk ofCOVID-19 transmission.

"They haven't considered at all a comprehensive rent relief program, although they have done that on the small business side," she said.

"They should be looking at the deeper causes of the affordable housing crisis or increasing social assistance rates, looking at programs like the basic income to address that and having a moratorium that's longer than 30 days."

Some tenants are still being served eviction orders despite Ontario's moratorium on the notices. (CBC)

Steve Lane,a tenant who has come up against illegal eviction orders, said thewait-and-see process has been "nerve wracking.

"I know it's rough on everybody, it's rough on tenants. It's also rough on landlords," Lane said. "But for anybody facing eviction right now, it is a pretty bleak-looking future.

"There's just not much out there, and when there is, a lot of the prices have gone sky high," said Lane, who's in his sixties and is on a fixed income.

Lane said an eviction notice should only be served to a tenant in serious cases.

"There's circumstances that are governing things to a degree," he said. "But I do believe the circumstances need to be a lot more serious right now to go ahead with evicting somebody."

With files from Sarah MacMillan