Protecting Tenants’ Health, Safety and Quality of Life: Toronto’s RentSafe Program Strengthened
Leaking roofs, stained carpets, non-functioning elevators, and pest infestations are far too common for renters in Toronto. Some landlords have ignored City orders to fix their properties for years with little consequence; they treat the small fines as the cost of doing business, drag out performing the repairs through appeals, and are even granted time extensions. The system certainly doesn’t give tenants the same leniency when their rent is due. Working with ACORN, the Federation of Metro Tenants' Associations (FMTA), and community legal clinics, I initiated the RentSafe program, approved by Council in 2017, to address the poor living conditions that far too many tenants are facing. When the program was approved, it was one of the most comprehensive, progressive, and rigorous municipal tenant protection initiatives in North America. However, the City has yet to deliver on many crucial measures that Council promised to the 50% of our residents that rent their homes. The following initiatives to protect tenants have not been implemented:
Councillor Josh Matlow's Community & City Hall Updates: Fall II
Tonight's Pumpkin Parades
I welcome you to join me and my family at two pumpkin parades this evening. To check out the parade happening at Wychwood Barns Park (south of the splash pad), I welcome you to arrive with your pumpkin and its candle at 6:00pm. If you're available to swing-by Davisville's pumpkin parade happening at June Rowlands Park, please arrive by 6:30pm. Let's celebrate Halloween for one more night together!
Councillor Matlow's Community and City Hall Update: Fall I
Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur
To those celebrating in our Jewish community, I wish you a Shanah Tovah and a meaningful fast this Yom Kippur!
Declaration of Climate Emergency a Step in the Right Direction:Last week, many Midtown residents joined thousands of Torontonians in the Climate Strike march downtown. Many of us have been inspired by the dedication, passion and sense of urgency demonstrated by Greta Thunberg and millions of young people across the globe over the past year. But addressing climate change should never have required youth to rise up to get adults to act. We can't let future generations down any longer. That's why I was pleased to support Mayor Tory and Councillor Layton's motion declaring a climate emergency on behalf of City Council. The declaration was supported by a number of positive actions that seek to accelerate and enhance the City's climate action plan (TransformTO), including:
Councillor Matlow's Community and City Hall Update: Summer II
Council Approves Tenants First Report: An Important Milestone in Transforming Toronto Community Housing
I'm happy to report that City Council approved the Tenants First Implementation Plan, which will create better living conditions and experiences for seniors in senior-designated buildings and tenants of Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCH) while ensuring their homes are safe and well maintained.
Councillor Matlow's Community and City Hall Update: Summer I
UPDATE: Save Our Subway!
In a report to Council this week, the City Manager provided an update on the negotiations with the province over the subway upload. I have previously expressed my concerns to you and Council about the efficacy of sitting at the table with a government that has already, and unilaterally, announced the outcome. Unfortunately, the Mayor and a majority of Council have voted to continue to negotiate with a proven bad faith actor. Along with uploading the subway, the province has already indicated that they are also uploading the TTC's associated assets including land and air-rights. This will directly jeopardize our approved plans to better utilize those assets for City priorities including parks, public squares, affordable housing, and built forms that respect our Official Plan. In the Council meeting, Staff confirmed that the new provincial plans will likely result in further delays in starting construction on transit projects. The province's Ontario Line, which is purportedly to run between the Science Centre and Ontario Place, is only at 2% design while the City's Relief line is at 15%. Further, the province has yet to even share what the new technology is that they are proposing. In Scarborough, the province's plan to revert back to a 3-stop plan, already deemed to be "not a worthwhile use of money" by Metrolinx, will likely result in the subway extension not being opened until 2030. The current Scarborough RT is expected to reach the end of its useful life by 2026, leaving local residents on the bus. If we moved forward now with a 24-stop LRT network for Scarborough, it could still be completed faster and serve more residents at a lower cost. Of further concern, City Staff appear to be advancing ideas that have not been approved by Council. As this article in the Toronto Star notes, City negotiators have floated the idea of a 4-stop subway in Scarborough. The article further reveals that City officials have been working on this plan for a number of years in secret. I intend to find out how this disregard for Council process occurred. For further information on delays to transit projects caused by provincial meddling, please see this article.
Councillor Matlow's Community and City Hall Update for Mid-May, 2019
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Councillor Matlow's Community and City Hall Update for May, 2019
City Council Unanimously Supports Changing the Culture in Toronto's Long-Term Care Homes: More Caring, Respectful and Supportive
For the first time in history, there are now more Torontonians over the age of 65 than children aged 15 and under. Looking ahead, the number of people in Toronto aged 65 and over is expected to almost double by 2041. This growth requires the City of Toronto to proactively implement meaningful change to long-term care, including emotion-centred approaches to care that will meet the diverse and complex needs of residents.
Councillor Josh Matlow's Community And City Hall Update For April, 2019
Exploring Partnerships to Create a Vibrant & Sustainable Community Hub at the former Vaughan Road Academy (529 Vaughan Rd.):
The Oakwood Vaughan neighbourhood is a remarkable neighborhood full of promise. However, it also continues to be an under-served and under-resourced neighbourhood. There is a lack of City programs and community spaces to address the needs of the community. Vaughan Road Academy, located at 529 Vaughan Road, is a public high school under the jurisdiction of the Toronto District School Board. While no longer an operating school, the Toronto District School Board voted in February 2017 to retain the building as a core holding, and put it to use for purposes still to-be-negotiated. Currently, the school is being used as an overflow school to accommodate students from other schools that are under construction, such as Davisville. A community based resident organization, Oakwood Vaughan Neighbourhood Action Partnership (OVNAP), has been engaged in discussions to convert the Vaughan Road Academy property into a community hub where, while still under ownership of the Toronto District School Board, the building would house a number of diverse programs and community services accessible to the public. Parks, Forestry and Recreation offers swimming lessons and basketball programs at Vaughan Road Academy and the Learning Enrichment Foundation operates a child care centre on the site. During this week's City Council meeting, I moved a motion that was unanimously adopted to work with the appropriate City Divisions and Agencies, Toronto District School Board representatives, Oakwood Vaughan Neighbourhood Action Partnership, and other appropriate community groups to identify opportunities for creating a vibrant and safe neighborhood supported by a community hub at the Vaughan Road Academy that could help meet the needs of local residents. A community hub at Vaughan Road Academy would help address the need for programming and space in this community and would align with the City's Oakwood Vaughan Strategic Plan. The Plan, adopted by the Community Development and Recreation Committee in May 2015, addresses neighbourhood issues of high unemployment, petty crime and lack of economic development.
Councillor Josh Matlow's Community and City Hall Update for March, 2019
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Councillor Josh Matlow's Community and City Hall Update for February 1st, 2019
Homelessness crisis in Toronto
Spiraling rents, historically low vacancy rates, long wait lists for social housing, inadequate mental health supports, and other factors, have created a housing and homelessness crisis in Toronto. The City's Public Health Division recorded 145 deaths of individuals experiencing homelessness, from January 1, 2017 to June 30th 2018. Four homeless residents have already lost their lives this year.
Councillor Josh Matlow's Community And City Hall Update And Season's Greetings
Update on Premier Doug Ford’s Upload of Toronto’s Subway
I oppose being drawn into a process to help Premier Ford upload Toronto’s subway system, its land value and potential air rights. I support moving forward to improve the existing system, address overcrowding, repairs & build evidence-based transit to connect our city & region.
Councillor Josh Matlow's City Hall and Community Update for December 7th, 2018
Dear residents, It is my heartfelt privilege to serve you as our city councillor for the new Ward 12, Toronto- St. Paul’s. Our community now stretches from Dufferin to Mt. Pleasant, Broadway/Eglinton to the CP rail tracks north of Dupont, and has well over 100,000 residents. To help support the increased population, and to ensure we are able to be responsive to residents needs, Council decided this week to expand the staff budget for constituency assistants. Now that our office has approval for a more sufficient complement of staff, we will be going through a significant transformation during the month of December. Despite the challenges, and the uncertainty of the organizational restructuring, my job now is to make this new reality work as effectively as possible and organize an office that can manage the much higher volume and to serve you well. I look forward to having my new team in place before the end of the month and then be able to have our community office operating in the new year. Meanwhile, I’ve been spending a lot of time getting to know every street, park and the many priorities in our larger community while working on several policy initiatives on our behalf at city hall. My family and I have been attending events across Toronto-St Paul's both to renew our friendships in the neighbourhoods I've already served and to build new relationships while supporting local initiatives. I’ll continue to update you on important issues and community meetings in my monthly update to keep you engaged and informed. I'm also planning some town hall meetings for next year, details of which I'll share with you in upcoming updates. Please also feel welcome to follow my Twitter account https://twitter.com/JoshMatlow. For those of you celebrating this week, I wish you a very Happy Chanukah. And to everyone, I hope to see you out in our community soon!
City Hall and Community Update for July 27th, 2018
Doug Ford Makes Surprise Changes to Toronto's Wards and Cancels Current Election With No Public Consultation
Torontonians were shocked to see a report that Doug Ford was set to announce that he will cancel our city's municipal election halfway through, and completely change the ward boundaries without any public consultation. This is unprecedented, anti-democratic and reckless. Candidates have already received donations from voters and have been knocking on doors for months, and the 47 ward boundaries were created after a 5-year expert-driven process that included extensive public consultation and considered quality of representation. To those who support 25 larger wards with larger populations, I respectfully submit that a decision regarding that proposal should be done with expert advice to ensure voter parity, and genuine public consultation- for the people.
