We're done working so that landlords can get rich: “Hausse de loyer? Refusons ensemble!”

For a bus on its route from Hochelaga to the Plateau. By a crew of anarchists from another kind of Texas.

An anonymous submission.

Saima is a single mother living in a homeless shelter. She signed a lease with SPG Canada, a company represented by landlord Daniel Li. She was assured that her rent would be subsidized by the government. When the subsidy fell through, she was told she would need to pay $4950 (three months rent) to get off the lease. She has never lived in this unit. Daniel Li, let Saima out of her lease!

After organizing with other tenants, door-knocking, and reading through court cases and public posts concerning Li, we are also demanding that no charge be applied to tenants who are requesting to move out after dealing with unresolved flooding, infestations, and necessary repairs. We demand a plan of action from SPG Canada for how they will address maintenance in the future in a way that respects tenants’ dignity and needs.

Coverage by @therover.community.

Got a problem with your landlord, or with all landlords, developers, real estate investors, and speculators? You are not alone! Join our union. We fight together!

Our tenants’ union organized a protest in front of a landlord’s apartment after he threatened to change the locks on one of our fellow tenants by the first of the month. These eviction threats followed months of shouting, name-calling, and apartment visits by the owner.

After this collective act of solidarity, the landlord agreed to not change the apartment locks, and reduced some of the behaviours that were scaring the unit’s tenants.

With evictions increasing, it is our job to collectively fight back against the propertied class of landlords who are becoming increasingly powerful and unrestrained. Our power is in numbers, coordination, direct action, and solidarity. This power will bring us wins in the short term and a liberatory revolution in the long run. Facing eviction? Don’t move. Join our union and fight!

Music credit: “Asado de fa” (Sara Hebe)

Remixed from our recent one-hour radio segment on CBC. For the full discussion on the rent strike, check out our linktree: https://linktr.ee/slam.matu.

Hundreds of Toronto tenants have been on rent strike for months. Tenants in Montreal are organizing to join them. Into the rent strike? Get in touch over email to find out ways to support, or visit our linktree above to learn more!

We're calling on members of the public, supporters, and unhoused comrades, to take to the streets this coming Monday, February 27th, 5:30pm, Atwater Metro (Cabot Square) to help put an end to these evictions.

These evictions are not solutions to homelessness and do not improve the lives of people who are homeless. Homelessness is caused by our broken shelter system, the predatory rents and evictions of landlords, and the modern austerity politics of capitalist governments who underfund and mismanage mental health, social, and housing services. The housing crisis affects us all! Defend your neighbours!

Music is once again from Action Sédition. Go check them out.

Fourteen tenants remain in the 130-unit building, holding out against a large-scale renoviction by notorious landlord George Gantcheff, owner of Cromwell Management Inc. Quebec. These last few tenants live scattered throughout a dangerous and distressing construction site. Recently they have joined forces with the Montreal Autonomous Tenants Union (SLAM), fighting for compensation, rent reductions, heating, transparent and consensual construction work, and that the renovated units remain affordable. The banner drop is the most recent escalation in their campaign, following several ignored attempts at "playing nice." When tenants sat down for a good faith negotiation with the management company a few days before the banner drop, Cromwell’s representatives walked out after less than ten minutes of discussion.

On Saturday, union members joined tenants across the street from the newly decorated building. They played music, talked, and handed out over 200 flyers to curious passersby. Neighbours and community members expressed outrage, distress, sympathy and solidarity.

Cromwell aims to profit as much of they can off their property, regardless of the human consequences. So long as housing is bought, sold, and rented on the basis of profit and not need, Cromwell is a prime study of companies acting intelligently in a competitive market. As profit-oriented corporations seize larger portions of the market, Cromwell is an example - not an outlier. With a tenant class increasingly unable to afford housing, more and more people are organizing with their neighbours to take matters into their own hands. Oft-used pressure tactics serve short term goals, demonstrate power, and win concessions.

These actions lay the basis for a tenant movement capable of revolutionary change. Through the practice of pushing systemic boundaries and wielding our collective power, we make immediate improvements to our lives while preparing for a larger fight.

To support the tenants of 3605 St-Urbain or join in on our other projects, email us at slam.matu@protonmail.com or stay up to date on our instagram @slam.matu.