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despite the encouraging turn-out at this week’s tenant forum at City Hall, not all tenant groups were singing from the same songbook.
The Federation of Metro Tenants Associations (FMTA), which helped organize the event, was forced to defend itself against attacks from the rival Greater Toronto Tenants Association, (GTTA), which didn’t endorse the event.
Outside City Hall, the GTTA’s Paul York handed out leaflets charging that the FMTA and the city are doing nothing to reduce rents and should be supporting lower property taxes on apartment buildings, something city councillors are loath to do.
“(The FMTA have) selected their issues they’re the ones that are politically safe,” says York.
Some say York is just miffed that his group doesn’t get city funds.
FMTA tenant coordinator Dan McIntyre says his group has always supported fairer taxes for tenants but that that shouldn’t come at the expense of higher taxes for homeowners or cuts to city services, many of which are essential for low-income tenants.
Says McIntyre, “Paul’s just trying to serve the agenda of the right wing of council: get rid of us and slash programs.”
