Eviction

Housing is a direct federal responsibility, contrary to what Trudeau said. Here’s how his government can do better.

Retrieved on: 
Monday, August 7, 2023

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that “housing isn’t a primary federal responsibility” at a funding announcement in Hamilton, Ont.

Key Points: 
  • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that “housing isn’t a primary federal responsibility” at a funding announcement in Hamilton, Ont.
  • The right to housing — which Canada has promised to enforce in numerous international covenants — was enshrined in Canadian law by the current government in 2019.

History of federal housing engagement

    • Trudeau seems to have forgotten about the federal government’s previous involvement in housing.
    • The production of non-market housing fell off a cliff in 1992 when the federal government downloaded responsibility for affordable housing to provinces.
    • The housing crisis has its roots in the federal government’s neglect of affordable housing over decades.

Five priorities for the federal government

    • Rather than dodging responsibility, the federal government should pursue five priorities.
    • First, the federal government must return to using a single income-based definition of affordable housing in its programs, as it did from the 1940s to the 1990s.
    • Taxation reform and offering long-term, low-cost financing for purpose-built rental homes are both federal government responsibilities.

Provinces and municipalities must step up

    • Provinces must improve residential tenancy protections to stop the rising tide of evictions and double-digit rent increases.
    • Municipalities need to revise zoning codes to allow four- to six-storey buildings in all residential areas and 10- to 30-storey buildings close to rapid transit stations.
    • By amending the federal building code, municipalities could scale up smaller, affordable, accessible and energy-efficient apartment buildings with family-sized units.

Essop Pahad: a diligent communist driven by an optimistic vision of a non-racial South Africa

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Any examination of Pahad’s full political record will take you back to the heroic phases of South Africa’s liberation history, when prospects for a democratic South African government seemed very remote.

Key Points: 
  • Any examination of Pahad’s full political record will take you back to the heroic phases of South Africa’s liberation history, when prospects for a democratic South African government seemed very remote.
  • As a teenager in the 1950s he was busy in the Transvaal Indian Youth Congress.
  • This was the equivalent of the youth league of the liberation movement, the African National Congress (ANC), for Indian South Africans.
  • In my own research on the South African Communist Party’s history, groups like the Transvaal Indian Youth Congress were game-changers.

The early years

    • Pahad employed ANC leader Walter Sisulu, supporting his efforts to become an estate agent.
    • Both Essop and his younger brother Aziz did well enough to obtain entry to the University of the Witwatersrand.
    • The Transvaal Indian Youth Congress was led by party members and its political affiliations were very evident in its journal, New Youth.
    • Mbeki was then staying in Johannesburg, completing his A-levels through correspondence after expulsion from Lovedale College for leading a class boycott.

Exile years

    • Pahad would complete an MA and a doctorate at Sussex between 1965 and 1971, producing a workmanlike dissertation about the South African Indian Congresses.
    • Pahad’s most conspicuous activity during his exile was his deployment in Prague at the World Marxist Review; acknowledgement by the Communist Party of his status as a reliable theoretician.
    • He and Meg lived in Prague between 1975 and 1985, and their two daughters were born there, attending Czech schools.

Right-hand man

    • At that time Mbeki’s future succession to the presidency was uncertain and the party was one key constituency.
    • But it is true that Pahad’s subsequent political career would be defined by his status as Mbeki’s trusted friend, his best man as it were, a function he actually performed at Mbeki’s wedding in 1974.
    • So, during the presidency of Nelson Mandela (10 May 1994-16 June 1999) he served as Mbeki’s “parliamentary counsellor”.

Diligent

    • He surprised even his critics with the diligence with which he supported the offices placed under his authority as minister, for example urging municipalities to “mainstream” disability rights.
    • He had invited Ajay Gupta to join the International Marketing Council in 2000, an appointment that he subsequently regretted.

Apt. Association of Greater L.A. Files a Third Lawsuit Against the City of Los Angeles

Retrieved on: 
Monday, July 24, 2023

The lawsuit, which was filed in the Superior Court of the State of California, seeks to overturn the City’s Ordinance No.

Key Points: 
  • The lawsuit, which was filed in the Superior Court of the State of California, seeks to overturn the City’s Ordinance No.
  • 186607, which is codified in Los Angeles Municipal Code § 151.32.
  • Founded in 1917, the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles seeks to promote the highest levels of professionalism within the multifamily rental housing industry.
  • The Association also serves as a powerful advocate and lobbyist for rental housing providers at the local, county, state, and federal levels of government.

Condor Outdoor's Back the Blue Initiative Donates Protective Gear to Ventura County Sheriff's Civil Unit

Retrieved on: 
Friday, July 21, 2023

VENTURA, Calif., July 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Condor Outdoor, a leading provider of tactical gear and clothing, partnered with Covered 6 to support the safety of deputies in the Ventura County Sheriffs Civil Unit.

Key Points: 
  • VENTURA, Calif., July 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Condor Outdoor, a leading provider of tactical gear and clothing, partnered with Covered 6 to support the safety of deputies in the Ventura County Sheriffs Civil Unit.
  • As a part of their Back the Blue initiative, Condor Outdoor donated twelve professional-grade plate carriers to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office.
  • "I appreciate the support and generous donation that Condor Outdoor Products gave the Sheriff's Civil Unit," expressed Ventura County Sheriff's Captain Steve Jenkins.
  • Condor's Back the Blue initiative donates tactical gear, uniforms, and clothing every year, spreading heartfelt support to local and county law enforcement.

National Foundation for Credit Counseling Launches "Make it R.E.A.L" (Renter Equity at Last) to Address Renter Insecurity Across the Country

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, July 19, 2023

WASHINGTON, July 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. housing insecurity has dramatically increased in recent decades and its effect on mental health, financial systems and neighborhoods is increasingly felt. After all, a lack of stable housing can impede interpersonal relationships as well as the ability to work or pursue higher education. Like other forms of socio-economic bias, housing insecurity is disproportionately experienced by Black women.

Key Points: 
  • After all, a lack of stable housing can impede interpersonal relationships as well as the ability to work or pursue higher education.
  • Like other forms of socio-economic bias, housing insecurity is disproportionately experienced by Black women.
  • A new campaign from the National Foundation for Credit Counselling (NFCC), supported by the Wells Fargo Foundation, aims to reverse this trend.
  • The organization helps consumers develop comprehensive financial plans that address credit card debt, student loans, and medical debt.

RentRedi Adds Customization Features to its Property Management Software

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, July 11, 2023

NEW YORK, July 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- RentRedi has added new customization features to its innovative cloud-based property management software, further easing the rental process for both landlords and renters. Using the new customizable options within the RentRedi platform, landlords and property managers can now build their own pre-qualification and application processes that best serve their individual needs and help them attract and identify more qualified tenants.

Key Points: 
  • NEW YORK, July 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- RentRedi has added new customization features to its innovative cloud-based property management software, further easing the rental process for both landlords and renters.
  • RentRedi provides landlords with peace of mind that their investments are protected and will generate steady income.
  • The customization option invites prospective renters to answer specific questions to collect information that can help landlords make better decisions.
  • Demonstrating its leadership in the PropTech market, RentRedi was named an "Established Player" on Capterra's exclusive 2023 Property Management Software Shortlist based on the software's user ratings and popularity.

Jenin attack created 4,000 new refugees, part of the endless cycle of Palestinian displacement since 1948

Retrieved on: 
Friday, July 7, 2023

An additional 143 Palestinians were injured, with 20 in critical condition, and up to 4,000 displaced.

Key Points: 
  • An additional 143 Palestinians were injured, with 20 in critical condition, and up to 4,000 displaced.
  • While often framed as a fight over religion and ideology, this is ultimately a struggle around demographics, displacement and mobility.

Why is Jenin a refugee camp?

    • Much of the social media rhetoric on Jenin this week has asked why there is a refugee camp in the West Bank.
    • In fact, there are 19 refugee camps in the West Bank, and eight in the Gaza Strip.
    • These events are known by Palestinians as the Nakba (“the catastrophe”), and are commemorated annually by refugee communities across the Middle East.
    • Fast forward to 2023 and Jenin has now sheltered more than three generations of refugees.

Why displacement matters

    • The displacement of Palestinians did not end in 1948 but has continued for 75 years.
    • In addition to land grab, other Israeli measures that cause continual Palestinian displacement include forcible evictions, house demolitions, denial of residency rights, and discriminatory planning and zoning.
    • This means that Palestinians must live with the constant threat of displacement hanging over them, and no protection of their civil rights as a population under occupation.
    • Recent high-profile cases of forcible displacement include Israeli eviction orders against Palestinians in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah to make room for Israeli settlers.

Your rented house is falling apart – here are your rights to getting it repaired

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, June 22, 2023

Complaining about the disrepair in your rented house could lead to a section 21 eviction notice – a retaliatory action often dubbed a “revenge eviction”.

Key Points: 
  • Complaining about the disrepair in your rented house could lead to a section 21 eviction notice – a retaliatory action often dubbed a “revenge eviction”.
  • Nearly a quarter of private renters live in homes that fail to meet the government’s Decent Home Standard.
  • This amounts to roughly 1 million rented properties that contain dangerous hazards, are not in a reasonable state of repair or lack suitable heating.
  • Renters in England have rights when it comes to repairs and ensuring that their rented homes are fit for habitation.

Taking action

    • If you have mouldy walls or faulty plumbing, it’s important to take action and assert your rights.
    • Once you’ve reported the problem, your landlord or letting agent is required to take action within a reasonable time frame.
    • They possess the power to inspect the property and use the housing health and safety rating system to check for health hazards, serve notices to the landlord and even take legal action if necessary.

Revenge evictions

    • In certain cases, renters can be shielded from revenge evictions if the local authority takes formal enforcement action against the landlord.
    • This involves serving an improvement notice to address the disrepair, and can protect you from eviction for a period of six months.
    • The recently introduced renters (reform) bill intends to end section 21 evictions in England and support renters to assert their rights.
    • If you have questions about your situation, talk to a housing advice charity such as Shelter or Citizens Advice.

The IKEA Foundation Pledges More Than €11 Million in Emergency Humanitarian Aid for Sudan

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, June 8, 2023

(Photo: Business Wire)

Key Points: 
  • (Photo: Business Wire)
    Intense fighting broke out in Khartoum, Sudan on 15 April and has since spread to other parts of the country.
  • Sudan is also hosting more than one million refugees who have fled violence in neighbouring countries.
  • Per Heggenes, CEO of the IKEA Foundation, said: “The violence in Sudan is a devastating human tragedy.
  • We are very grateful for the IKEA Foundation stepping in to assist and pleased to offer shelter to 15,000 individuals affected by the crisis.

Nearly 18,000 Pets Found Loving Homes through BISSELL Pet Foundation’s Largest-Ever “Empty the Shelters”

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, May 31, 2023

To provide additional support to shelters seeking critical relief from overcrowding and to ensure as many pets as possible found homes, BISSELL Pet Foundation sponsored adoption fees from May 1-15.

Key Points: 
  • To provide additional support to shelters seeking critical relief from overcrowding and to ensure as many pets as possible found homes, BISSELL Pet Foundation sponsored adoption fees from May 1-15.
  • We are thrilled so many pets found loving homes thanks to this lifesaving partnership!"
  • Every donation to BISSELL Pet Foundation is maximized to reach more pets in more communities through the Foundation's lifesaving programs.
  • To make a gift or learn more about BISSELL Pet Foundation, visit https://www.bissellpetfoundation.org/ .