NEWS AND ANALYSIS

Rental board ?stole my home!?

NDG resident says clerical mistake left him homeless

By Dan Delmar The Suburban An NDG man who had been struggling to keep his dilapidated yet affordable Fielding Ave. apartment for the past three years has been dealt one final blow by the Régie du Logement du Québec, which he says has unjustly forced him out onto the street. John Ranger first spoke with The Suburban in 2008 after he had been living in a roach and rodent-infested 3 1/2 at 6665 Fielding for nearly one year ? without a kitchen sink. Landlord Youcef Berkane claimed he was a problem tenant and made unsuccessful attempts to evict him. Ranger was finally forced out last month because he said the rental board sent a crucial notice to the wrong address. ?I came home on a Saturday night with my girlfriend and there was a new lock on the door,? Ranger said, describing the night his apartment was emptied out by bailiffs. ?I knocked on my door? I heard and felt the hollowness. I was almost ready for the hospital.? The city of Montreal executed an eviction order on Jan. 29 and warehoused all of his belongings. Unable to quickly find an apartment at a comparable price, he is now relying on family and friends to temporarily put a roof over his head.

AWARDS

Cont?d from page 1 engagement in community advocacy and involvement; maintained the highest standards in details and style and produced world-class graphics and art demonstrating that the medium truly makes the message all that more powerful. Though The Suburban is no stranger to winning awards, I must say a word about placing first in North America for Community Service. It was one of our proudest moments when this paper gave so much space over two months to partner with the Garceau Foundation and the Institute for Public Affairs to assure the success of the ?Cassandra?s Lilacs ? Gentle the Condition? benefit concert. We wanted to move the

FRUITERIE

GREEN CANADIAN

? Farm Fresh Fruits & Vegetables ? Cheese ? Dairy Products ? Nuts ? Bread ? Grocery & Kosher Grocery When The Suburban visited his home in 2008, it was in a state of disrepair. The linoleum in the kitchen was missing and leaky pipes were exposed. There was no kitchen sink or counter at all; Ranger rested his microwave and toaster oven on a stack of plastic buckets. Wood planks, sheets of Gyprock and old appliances were leaning against the wall of a narrow hallway, posing what city inspectors had deemed a clear fire hazard. The materials were supposed to be used for renovation work that hadn?t been carried out. Ranger believes Berkane repeatedly attempted to evict him because he would not accept an unjustified rent increase of over $200. He said the landlord tried to dodge him in an effort to make it seem as if the rent couldn?t be collected. Ranger and his former roommate said they?ve had to practically leap through the door to hand him the cheque when they would see a witness present. Ranger believed a verbal agreement was sufficient and a lease was not necessary ? a crucial mistake housing activists often warn against making. That led Berkane to allege the pair were squatters, living in the apartment illegally. That claim was rejected by the Regie and they were permitted to stay, up until last month. Ranger found himself fighting community to action. And act it did. More than 2,000 entertainers, volunteers and donors came together to raise nearly $100,000 to help frontline charities fighting hunger and child poverty in Montreal. It proved, as did all our other departures into advocacy journalism over the past few years, that ? we put the u in community? is more than just a slogan. With the help of our readers and advertisers, we have been able to bring real help to real people week in and week out. One more acknowledgment needs to be made. And not because he?s our boss. This paper?s publisher, Michael Sochaczevski, has consistently supported the alliances we have struck with social activists over the past few another eviction attempt when he said that the Regie had somehow listed him under an incorrect address. The notices were sent to a home in a different neighbourhood that he has no connection to; how or why the rental board had the false address in his file remains a mystery. A Regie spokesperson was unavailable for comment as of press time. Ranger filled out the paperwork to correct his address, but, ?if that wasn?t enough, they didn?t write the apartment number!? The Regie notices were sent to his building, but promptly returned to sender. ?Even if I had gotten it, I may not years that brought so much of this work to fruition and helped make this award possible. Our special thanks go out to him. The awards we won are: 1st place Community Service award Best Feature photo 2nd place Best Editorial page cartoon 3rd place Best column writing Best Opinion column Best Editorial page Honorable Mention: Best Sports photo Best continuing coverage (Hampstead break-ins) Suburban Newspapers of America Association is one of the largest associations covering newspapers throughout Canada and the United States. n

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FREE DELIVERY ? PHONE ORDERS ACCEPTED (min. $30) have been able to show up. Here?s the kicker: They sent it three days before the hearing!? ?I refused to budge and [Berkane] used the Regie to evict us,? said Ranger, who has not been able to get access to his possessions. ?This is my life! My clothes, my food, my appliances? thank God I had some stuff at my mom?s house; a couple of pairs of pants and some underwear.? Adding insult to injury was the poor treatment Ranger claims he received from rental board officials he dealt with. ?They told me there?s nothing to be done. I can?t get my apartment back,? he said. ?I just think it?s disgusting. No one can steal my home like this!? If you have a housing story to share, contact us at 514-484-1107 or editor@thesuburban.com. n

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