A protest took place at Quinte West City Hall on Wednesday morning.
Residents of four apartment buildings on Sidney Street in Trenton have started receiving notices that they will need to vacate their apartments for upgrades and renovations.
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Residents of four apartment units gather outside Quinte West City Hall to protest
Keith Maybee has already received a notice. He has lived in his unit for 14 years.
“The only way I can afford to go to another place and pay that kind of money, is try to go back to work driving truck. At 73 years old, I don’t really want to do that.”
The prices for rental units in the Quinte region, like much of Ontario, have skyrocketed. One resident who asked not to be named said that they are looking at double the price if they are forced out.
Not everyone in the buildings have received a notice, however Maybee says they were told by their building superintendent that everyone would receive one.
Kathy Henson has lived in one of the units with her husband for 18 years. She says although she has not yet received a notice, she knows one is coming.
“After what they’re pulling, I don’t think I want to stay here. I really don’t. I mean if they’re like that now what are they going to be like if we do need repairs or anything done?”
“They sold the buildings. We were notified after they sold them. Within a couple of weeks of that notice, then people were getting their notices to move out. That’s not right.”
Below is a look at two forms one of the tenants received.
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Resident Shannon Lawrence says there are too many people on the street already. She says many of the residents are on fixed incomes and it is some of the last affordable housing in the region.
“There’s already a homeless crisis. There’s no shelter space. Where are these hundreds of people going to go?”
Lawrence, who lives in her unit with her son, says their home is more than a roof over their head. She says her son thrives on routine and friendships he has made. She says his mental well-being will suffer with major disruption.
“My son is autistic and stability and routine are extremely important to his mental well-being. I had to fight to get him into a good program at school. He knows all our neighbours, our friends, right, we’re like a family. Being thrown out, it will be horrible for him.”
She says they are not going anywhere, that they pay their rent on time, and everyone belongs in the community.
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Bruce Genereaux lives at 411 Sidney with his wife and two children. He says they received the renoviction notice and were offered a $4,000 payout by the company to relinquish the unit. He says Bedford Properties told them it would take seven months to fix his apartment and they needed a place to live in the meantime.
“We received a notice. It really upset us. My wife, coming home from work every day, she was very stressed. She just couldn’t take it anymore, so we really started looking. We found a place to live. I’ve gone from $907/month to $1,600/month.”
Quinte News has made multiple attempts to interview a representative from Bedford Properties, but has not received a response.
Quinte West Mayor Jim Harrison says he is reaching out to Bedford Properties for a meeting with the city. He will also be asking for MPP Todd Smith and MP Ryan Williams to be a part of the discussions.
A contractor renovating an apartment unit at 405 Sidney Street in Trenton
