City must stand up for tenants

Something needs to change.

There are a couple of buildings in Oshawa that have suffered neglect – so much so that the tenants occupying these structures live in horrid conditions with cockroaches squirming through the walls and feral ants crawling their way through kitchens in search of lunch.

The city’s bylaw officials say they’ve been to these buildings, 275 and 280 Wentworth St. W., multiple times — the latter actually had a full-blown investigation held in 2007. Bylaw says they’ve dealt with several complaints regarding pests, building standards and inadequate heat.

A quick online search of any of these buildings will not only find both of them listed on Ontario’s Bed Bug Registry, but will also return numerous reviews, some dating back to 2011, of people sending warnings, begging prospective tenants to stay away from these buildings.

“BEWARE. BE VERY AWARE,” one former tenant writes.

So why do these issues persist?

Fingers get pointed in every direction, but it’s generally the fault of many. As one column of support gives out, there is a domino effect until it eventually leads to conditions of squalor.

While tenants lean on the property managers, which in turn lean on the building owners, eventually this support system gives out and more help is needed.

The city can only do so much within the democratic process. A possibility of rent controls could limit adequate funds for building upkeep by the owners, who refuse to discuss the problem with The Oshawa Express. And this lack of communication is a problem because it sends a message that these owners don’t care, which very well could be true.

In the case of 275 Wentworth, it’s a man who could not be reached for any comment and whom we’re told has a history of neglect at apartments he owns in Toronto.

In the case of 280 Wentworth, owned by Davpart, a large property management company that also owns retail property in Oshawa, along with a series of residential buildings (almost all of which are listed on the Bed Bug Registry), could not bother to defend why its buildings are something resembling the threshold of hell.

So it’s at this critical impasse when it becomes necessary for the city to get involved and try to help sort through the mess.

Councillor Nancy Diamond said during a committee meeting that it must be a team effort if this problem is to get resolved.

She couldn’t be more on the mark.

The city must take action on the inaction that has led to this outcome, and it must not stop there.

Proactive enforcement would not only keep buildings safe and clean, but it will hold landlords and building owners accountable to the people who are paying their salaries – the tenants.

And the tenants can learn a lesson from this in their search for the lowest possible housing costs. Be careful of where you choose to live. There are alternatives out there so investigate all possibilities before signing on the dotted line.