Stories for Change with Suze Morrison

Neighbourhood Information Post's program the Toronto Rent Bank is a social service that provides grants to tenants to prevent and avoid eviction. Join MPP Suze Morrison, Maja Bryon, and Gladys Wong for a chat about how this innovative social program can keep you housed. Learn more at www.torontorentbank.com, www.nipost.org, and www.suzemorrison.ca/tenants.

The pandemic has been difficult for folks in our community. Many people in Regent Park lost their jobs, worried about the safety of their children at school, and had to live with the stress of lockdowns.

As Ontario re-opens there are many questions about how we can work to make life better for everyone in our community.

I was thrilled to sit down virtually with my colleague MPP Joel Harden and my constituent Terri-Lynn Langdon, an ODSP recipient, to discuss  how folks on ODSP have been left behind, both during COVID-19 and long  before.

Low  ODSP rates make it impossible for people to thrive on the program - I  saw this first hand growing up with a parent on ODSP. It was a treat to  talk to Terri-Lynn about her experience as a disability advocate and  parent who navigates these systems every day. I’m fighting for higher  ODSP rates and a comprehensive healthcare system that would improve the  lives of folks on Social Assistance.

I have made my telephone townhall with Dr. Shoush available as a resource for everyone to listen to. You can sign up for updates at www.suzemorrison.ca/vaccines 

Episode produced by Benjamin Donato-Woodger

Are you wondering why Ford's vaccine roll-out has had such painful delays? I spoke with France Gélinas - MPP/ Députée Nickel Belt about what is going wrong and what must change. You can sign our petition at suzemorrison.ca/vaccineequity

I interviewed Franca — one of the community members who found herself in the middle of an unprecedented media storm when Corktown woke up to demo trucks in front of a beloved heritage site. Listen to hear how members of the Corktown community started a monumentous campaign to organize to protect our communities and heritage. You can show your support at suzemorrison.ca/foundry and respectlocalplanning.com 

Tenants at 33 Isabella St. are being asked to work from home and pay rent while their landlord goes full steam ahead with cosmetic renovations and preparatory work for a new proposed condo. I interviewed Michael and Janice, two tenants who have organized their neighbours and are asserting their right to stay safe while staying at home. You can learn more at suzemorrison.ca and check out the resource guide my office made at suzemorrison.ca/notessential

Suze Morrison introduced the No COVID Evictions Act today to give families the support and relief from the violence of evictions during a pandemic. This is the debate over the Bill at Queen's Park. You can sign the petition at www.suzemorrison.ca/nocovidevictions 

Teresa's story is haunting. Her story asks what happens when every system to protect tenants breaks? What happens when law enforcement doesn't understand what rights tenants have? Ford's excuse for an eviction ban has not kept vulnerable tenants safe. Teresa's courage sharing how her family fell through the gaps Ford left in tenant rights shows why. It's why we will keep fighting for a real eviction ban. You can listen to her story tomorrow morning at www.suzemorrison.ca/podcast and you can sign the petition at www.tcndp.ca/nocovidevictions. 

Podcast produced by Benjamin Donato-Woodger.

Tim Nash, founder of Good Investing, joined Suze Morrison for a chat about the Gamestop phenomenon gripping news headlines this week and its implications for engaging a wider audience in demanding economic change.