Point Douglas groups want to help rooming house tenants report problem conditions
Organizers say City of Winnipeg isn't doing enough to enforce neighbourhood livability bylaw
Three community groups in Winnipeg's Point Douglas neighbourhood are helping rooming-house tenants ensure that their living spaces are safe.
The North Point Douglas Women's Centre, Grace Point Church and Point Powerline started handing out flyers on Thursday with a fire safety checklist and information about tenants' rights under the City of Winnipeg's livability bylaw.
The organizations are also encouraging tenants to complain about substandard conditions — even if they want to do so anonymously, if they're afraid of being evicted for speaking out.
Tenants can speak with representatives from the three groups, who will contact the city on their behalf.
One of the representatives, Sel Burrows of Point Powerline, said they're taking action because they believe the city is not doing enough to enforce the neighbourhood livability bylaw.
- Fatal rooming house fire in North Point Douglas being investigated as homicide
- Winnipeg leads Canadian western cities in rooming house fire fatalities
- City councillors move to increase rooming-house inspections after fatal fire
"We hope that the quality of life of people living in rooming houses will improve immensely and most importantly, because of the fire inspections that will come about because of our actions, that we will not have any more deaths in rooming-house fires," Burrows said.
Bryon Ohrling, who has lived in almost 40 rooming houses since 1964 and survived two rooming-house fires, said he's happy someone is doing something about the conditions tenants often face.
"I'm just happy that these guys are doing what they're doing and people that are living in rooming houses will be a little bit more comfortable," he said.
Ohrling said he knows many rooming-house landlords are not meeting safety and livability standards, and many tenants don't know their rights or who they can turn to for help.
"The government has to do something. It's not a fun thing," he said. "People have to live somewhere and unfortunately rooming houses ... it's better than the riverbank for sure, right?"
Burrows said city officials have already committed their support for their campaign.
"They have been really supportive of what we're doing," he said. "If there are identifiable failures in living up to the bylaws, they will investigate and enforce."
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With files from Meagan Fiddler