'Shame!': Parkdale tenants protest rent increases by MetCap Living Management
Tenants say rent increases are driving lower income people out of Parkdale
More than 50tenants who rent from MetCap Living Management are staging a noisy protestat the company's head office in downtown Toronto against recent rent increases.
The tenantssay the rent hikes are drivinglower income people out of Parkdale.
MetCapLiving Management, which owns 19 buildings inParkdale, has been accused of making quick renovations and hiking rent after tenants move out.
Advocates say the rent increases are "eviction by another name" and arepart of the gentrification sweeping the neighbourhood.
MetCapLiving CEO Brent Merrill, contacted on Wednesday by CBC Toronto, was not available for comment on Thursday.
Protesters marched along the street, then moved to the office lobby. From there, they began to bang on the door. They talked to delivery people going into the building.
Nobody from MetCap Living Managementaddressed the protesters.
Toronto police ordered the protesters to stay in the head office's lobby.
Tenant Aliza Kassam holds maintenance orders from over a hundred tenants at MetCap's door. "No Repairs, No rent!" pic.twitter.com/HGogRy2z49
—@Ali_Chiasson
Police ordered crowd, 50 strong back to lobby. Impromptu meeting going down rn. Talk of multi-building rent strike pic.twitter.com/C348GY5Ndj
—@Ali_Chiasson
Big,loud Parkdale presence @ MetCap HQ right now "Shame!" Shouted as no one from the landlord corp has addressed them pic.twitter.com/J1qzBaTGzT
—@Ali_Chiasson