When the KLCA officially closes up shop this November, the work it did for tenants over the past six years may be the most missed. The information provided on-line will come down as the site space won't be renewed. London has never had too many "tenant friendly" Councillors either. One who most thought held the title is leaving Council.
In truth I would be hard pressed to name 5 members of Council who could name the current landlord-tenant act and which year it came into force. Most members of Council don't see tenants as taxpayers even though they pay it in their rent each month
Tenants who call or email with questions will have to go to the Landlord Tenant Board and speak to the Duty Counsel or call the LTB at 1-888-332-3234.
There are of course non-profits in London such as the London Housing Registry which can help out. There are certainly other groups who can offer advice but I am not embarrassed to say that when tenants emailed or called me I worked very hard to get them an answer to their question quickly or a referral to the correct organization with little delay.
London likes to call itself a big city but it is the only big city in Ontario without a truly independent grassroots city-wide tenants organization which can cut through the crap on tenants questions and get answers for tenants. They exist in most big cities in Ontario. You might just have to dig on-line or in the phone book for them.
It's true that Toronto is probably the only one with a group as organized as the FMTA but virtually every big City in Ontario has a grassroots group that can steer tenants in the right direction. London has none.
This situation is largely due to the laziness of tenants who refuse to organize into a city-wide group that is self-financing through very modest dues. I've seen a few groups come and go like the KLCA. Exhaustion usually takes its toll. There are other reasons. It's very hard to stay independent and not join the begging line at City Hall.
Such a group could provide very effective arguments when the landlord lobby flexes its muscles. Can you imagine how much help it would have been during the landlord licensing debate. Council would have to listen to them and not rely on its Housing Advisory Committee so much.
In any event, come November, the on-line help is gone and so is the phone and email help. Perhaps Some of London's complacent and not all down and out tenants might get off their butts and grab the baton from me. It is an election year and people are listening and watching.
Then again most tenants can't get their asses off the couch to go to the polling station to vote. The candidates know it and they usually skip apartment buildings and condos in favour of pamphlet dumps. Tenants can join together, get off their barcaloungers and vote, or do nothing. It's their choice. I've done my part.
