Smart Living Properties is pushing for mass evictions in multiple buildings across Sandy Hill. They are using the N13 renovation notice to force tenants from their homes, a tactic known as “renoviction.” Well over 100 Sandy Hill tenants have been forced out by Smart Living across these buildings through renoviction.
The good news? Tenants are taking a stand. Many are still living in their homes, and organizing to push back against Smart Living.
Right now, Smart Living is trying to clear out all of their old tenants from 280 Laurier Ave. East, 29 Russell Street, and Osgoode Chambers.
Many of these tenants have nowhere else to go.
The mass eviction at Osgoode Chambers rooming house (146-170 Osgoode Street, on the south side between Nelson and Sweetland) has been well-documented since the summer of 2020. Soon after their rooming house was purchased by Smart Living, tenants began searching for tenant organizations. After seeing the story of the 2018 Herongate mass evictions in the free local newspaper, The Leveller, Osgoode tenants reached out to the Herongate Tenant Coalition.
Founder-owner of Smart Living, Tamer Abaza, purchased Osgoode Chambers for $10 million through the holding company 146 Osgoode Street Holdings Inc.; This deal with notorious Ottawa slumlord Tony Mikhael allowed Abaza to leverage the rooming house for a $22.51 million loan from Fiera Private Debt on the same day of the purchase. Abaza and his investors, including local cardiologist Dr. Binny Kuriakose, clearly see the potential profit to be made from renovicting tenants. It will be up to us as a community to fight for equitable housing opportunities.
Stay tuned for more news from 280 Laurier and 29 Russell! More updates from Osgoode coming soon!