Media Advisory: Toronto ACORN Members Demand Progress From City Hall on Healthy Homes

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Feb. 2, 2013) - Members of Toronto ACORN will gather at city hall on Monday, February 4 to call on the City of Toronto to do more to ensure that tenants live in Healthy Homes.

In late 2008, because of pressure from ACORN members, the city created an audit program focused on bylaw infractions by landlords of Multi Residential Apartment Buildings. The program was to include regular progress reports to the Licensing and Standards committee.

City staff reported to councilors twice in 2010, but have not reported since then.

At the November 2012 meeting of the Licensing and Standards committee councilor Janet Davis, with the support of Toronto ACORN, introduced a motion that would have seen city staff reporting to the committee on the progress of the MRAB audit program at their February 2013 meeting.

Committee chair Cesar Palacio referred that motion, guaranteeing that badly needed information on the condition of rental housing in Toronto will not be released until April at the earliest.

"This program is extremely important, and ACORN members are proud to have helped bring it in to existence, but we need an update now on what's happening with it," said Edward Lantz, chair of ACORN's St. Jamestown chapter.

When: Monday, February 4^th, 2013

Where: Toronto city hall, members lounge.

Why: Delays in Toronto's response to the livable housing crisis.

What: ACORN members will ask councilors and staff to guarantee no further delays in MRAB audit program.

Who: Toronto ACORN members, councilor Anthony Perruzza, councilor Janet Davis.