Regulated rooming houses needed in Scarborough

To the editor:

Re: 'Affordable housing has received funding,' Letters, Jan. 20.

In response to Councillor Mike Del Grande's letter that "our responsibility is to represent the communities we serve in a fair and balanced manner," I would like to dispute some of the issues he has raised.

He feels that affordable housing in Scarborough has been adequately addressed by permitting legal second suites and up to two boarders. That is not so.

Landlords often advertise second suites as self-contained apartments and charge rents much higher than those charged for a room in a rooming house. Further, allowing up to two boarders in a home does not make up for not permitting rooming houses, as boarders in a private home often do not benefit from human rights and tenant protection legislation.

For example, any person may be denied a boarder room in a private home if they are required to share a kitchen or a bathroom with the owner or a family member of the owner. They can be denied the room on grounds of race, colour, place of origin, family status, sexual orientation or the receipt of public assistance.

The tenant has no remedy in this situation.

In Scarborough, where many immigrants first settle, this must be a concern.

Also, the sharing of a kitchen or bathroom with the owner or a member of their family, will take the renter outside the protection of the Tenant Protection Act.

In contrast, human rights and tenant protections are available to many boarders of rooming houses, as the rooming house owners often do not share kitchen or bathroom facilities with the roomer.

Del Grande is concerned about rights of entry for inspection.

These can be provided.

In the former city of Toronto where a rooming house bylaw exists, a rooming house requires a license. To get a license, compliance with housing standards, the zoning bylaw, the fire code, the building code and the Health Protection and Promotion Act must be shown. In the license application, the owner must consent to inspections by city employee so compliance can be enforced.

The regulation or non-regulation of rooming houses does not determine any tax issues. Property tax issues are free to be debated. Revenue from renting residential properties is also subject to income taxes.

One should note, however, that in the former city of Toronto, owners of rooming houses are asked to pay licensing fees and inspection fees, and must renew their licences every one or two years. Presumably some of this revenue assists in providing funding for the inspectors.

No one is asking for all illegal rooming houses to be made legal. We are asking that proper, regulated, safe and affordable rooming houses be allowed in Scarborough.

Yvonne Skof,

Staff lawyer at West Scarborough Community Legal Services