In 2019, over 100 seniors were evicted from Davenhill Senior Living at Yonge and Bloor. The work we did with these residents helped us to realize that laws protecting seniors in retirement homes need to be strengthened.
Seniors should have the same rights as any other tenant and be entitled to compensation if they are evicted. Seniors should also be protected from economic eviction caused by unfair price gouging, which happens when retirement homes dramatically increase the cost of providing basic services like meals.
That’s why I have introduced Bill 280, Protecting Seniors' Rights in Care Homes. This bill aims to make the following amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act:
- extend rent control protections for senior residents in care homes,
- restrict retirement home providers from imposing unlimited fee hikes to vulnerable seniors
- close the loophole that makes it easy for retirement home operators to get out of providing residents with three months’ rent compensation if they evict them.
If we truly want to help seniors live in safe and affordable housing, then it’s time to pass this bill and protect retirement home residents from eviction.