Brantford passes amendments allowing residents to stay at city-owned rental homes

After a summer hiatus, Brantford city council held a meeting yesterday that addressed one of the most talked-about issues within the community.

The meeting was to reconsider a staff recommendation to sell a number of city-owned properties, must to the dismay of those living there.

On Wednesday, much to their relief, city council passed an amendment that will allow them to stay, where as the city will then be allowed to sell the homes only once residents living there move out on their own accord.

Bill George said he’s relieved. “It’s like a weight lifted off our shoulders, it’s like the sun came out. It was very stressful over the last month and a half.”

Mandy Samwell, Ward 5 Councillor, said she’s happy with the amendment. “I feel like our council made the right decision. I mean, they were terrified right? They were under a lot of stress, they were very worried about having to move.”

Two councillors, Ward 1’s Rose Sicolo and Mayor Kevin Davis, were the only two opposed to the amendment.

“I really appreciate what it is you built and created through your community, but then I have to think about the other residents we have in our city, and frankly some there need is much more desperate,” Mayor Davis said.

For Sicolo, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. She said she saw an opportunity to create affordable housing, something she’s “authentically” drawn toward doing.”

“I have to accept that I may be the villain in 25 to 30 peoples lives, so I can be the hero in 120 people’s lives,” she said.

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In June, tenants of certain city-owned homes received letters informing them that “the time has come to proceed with individual dwelling sales on a unit by unit basis.”

The properties involved, totaling 25 single dwelling homes, were initially acquired by the City of Brantford as part of the initiative to build the Brantford Southern Access Road (BSAR).

The BSAR was intended to link West Brant to Highway 403 as well as the Wayne Gretzky Parkway.

Since this original plan has been scrapped, the city announced a decision had been made to sell the homes with the objective of using the proceeds to expand the city’s affordable housing options.

What followed was lengthy back-and-forth between tenants and the Hamilton chapter of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), and the City of Brantford.

Residents said they felt the letters were evident of an eviction notice, while Brantford officials have stated they were simply asking tenants to provide notice within 30 days if they would be purchasing their property from the city.

“Tenants interested in purchasing their rented homes were given the first right of refusal before these properties were to be listed on the market,” the city said in a statement.

“For those unable or uninterested in purchasing, the City committed to a staggered sales process, allowing sufficient time for tenants to transition to alternative housing most appropriate to their needs.”

ACORN held a press conference ahead of the council meeting yesterday, where they once again expressed their concern for the community displacement the home sales would cause.

“ACORN is demanding that Brantford City Council deal with tenants fairly, and cease with displacing long-term community members from this tight-knit neighbourhood,” an ACORN spokesperson said in a statement.

City council voted on the decision to sell at yesterday’s meeting, but the results have not yet been announced.

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