TCHC again fails tenants who still face an uncertain future

TCHC tenant’s rep Susan Gapka

In yet another blow to Toronto Community Housing (TCHC), tenants are once faced with failed leadership and uncertain futures.
Toronto Ombudsman, Fiona Crean, confirmed   in her report released today, Unrule(y) Behaviour – An Investigation into Toronto Community Housing Corporation’s Human Resources Policies and Practices, that TCHC continues to be    embroiled in chaos, this time for staffing issues.Tenants are concerned that this comes too soon after her last report on the eviction of seniors and fear the consequences of this lack of leadership.
“The more things change, the more they stay the same”, comments Rosie DaSilva, a tenant in one of homes that was once threatened to be sold. “TCHC is  spending more time putting out it’s internal fires, that it seems no one is paying attention to what tenants need or working to find the solutions to deal the growing repairs backlog.”
Tenants continue to live in a  of disrepair—and in need of accessible, safe and healthy homes and are concerned that this state of chaos in leadership could result in the sale of more homes. “TCHC has lurched from leadership crisis to leadership crisis causing uncertainty    and unrest amongst tenants”, says Susan Gapka, a  tenant leader, former contender for the NDP Toronto-Centre Rosedale federal nomination  and member of Tenants     for Social Housing. “The Board has been publicly fired, we have had four CEOs in as many years, we have withstood the threat of the mass sell off ourhomes, and we’re not sure what’s next for us”, continued Gapka.
“All of this is happening at a time when TCHC should be building relationships with all three levels of government and focusing on securing funding for capital repairs and maintenance – especially in the upcoming Ontario Budget. Instead, TCHC continues to get lost  in their own leadership failure and tenants remain the ones paying the price of uncertain futures.
“Tenants deserve better accessible, safe healthy homes, and a with the leadership abilities to deliver this in a trasparentand accountable manner.”