Tag Archives: poverty

What Can I Do About A Slumlord?

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Dealing with a slumlord can be incredibly frustrating and stressful, but there are steps you can take to protect your rights and improve your living situation. Here’s a guide to help you navigate the situation:

1. Know Your Rights

  • Familiarize yourself with local tenant laws and housing codes. These vary by location but generally guarantee your right to a safe and habitable living environment.
  • Common landlord responsibilities include providing:
    • Working utilities (heat, water, electricity).
    • Proper sanitation and waste disposal.
    • Structural integrity (no leaks, mold, or pest infestations).
    • Safe and secure locks on doors and windows.
  • If your landlord is failing to meet these standards, they may be violating the law.

2. Document Everything

  • Keep a detailed record of all issues, including:
    • Photos and videos of unsafe or unsanitary conditions.
    • Written notes about when problems started and how they’ve been ignored.
    • Copies of all communication with your landlord (emails, texts, letters, etc.).
  • This documentation will be critical if you need to take legal action or report the landlord.

3. Communicate with Your Landlord

  • Notify your landlord in writing about the issues and request repairs. Be specific, polite, and keep a copy of the letter or email.
  • If they don’t respond or refuse to make repairs, send a follow-up notice and mention your legal rights.

4. Report Code Violations

  • Contact your local housing authority, health department, or building code enforcement agency to report unsafe or unsanitary conditions.
  • An inspector may visit your property and issue a violation notice to the landlord, forcing them to make repairs.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA – Some abandoned townhouses standing in Uptown district

5. Withhold Rent or Repair and Deduct

  • In some areas, tenants are allowed to withhold rent or pay for repairs themselves and deduct the cost from rent. However, this can be risky, so:
    • Check your local laws to ensure this is allowed.
    • Notify your landlord in writing before taking action.
    • Keep receipts and documentation for all repairs.

6. Join or Organize with Other Tenants

  • If other tenants are experiencing similar issues, consider organizing as a group. Landlords are more likely to respond to collective action.
  • You can also reach out to local tenant unions or advocacy groups for support.

7. Seek Legal Help

  • If your landlord continues to neglect their responsibilities, consult a tenant attorney or legal aid organization.
  • You may be able to:
    • Sue for damages or compensation.
    • Break your lease without penalty.
    • Force the landlord to make repairs through a court order.

8. Consider Moving

  • If the situation doesn’t improve and your health or safety is at risk, it may be best to find a new place to live.
  • Before moving, ensure you’re not violating your lease and that you’ve followed proper legal procedures to protect yourself from retaliation or eviction.

9. Report to Local Media

  • If the situation is severe and widespread, contacting local news outlets can bring attention to the issue and pressure the landlord to act.

10. Stay Safe

  • If you feel threatened or unsafe due to your landlord’s actions, contact local law enforcement or a tenant advocacy group immediately.

Resources to Help You:

  • Local Housing Authority: For reporting code violations or unsafe conditions.
  • Legal Aid Organizations: For free or low-cost legal advice.
  • Tenant Unions: For advocacy and support in organizing with other tenants.
  • State or Local Tenant Rights Websites: For information on your specific rights.

By taking these steps, you can hold your landlord accountable and work toward a safer, healthier living environment.

Arguments for Slumlords as a Source of Affordable Housing

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  1. Market Necessity: In areas with severe housing shortages, slumlords may provide the only available option for low-income individuals, preventing homelessness.
  2. Economic Realities: Some landlords claim they cannot improve properties without raising rents, which could displace tenants. Low-income tenants might prioritize cost over quality due to limited options.

Criticisms of Slumlords as a Blight:

  1. Exploitative Practices: Charging high rents for substandard housing capitalizes on tenants’ desperation, often violating health/safety codes.
  2. Health and Safety Risks: Poor conditions (e.g., mold, pests, structural issues) harm physical and mental health, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities.
  3. Moral Concerns: Profiting from inadequate housing perpetuates inequality and dehumanizes tenants, prioritizing profit over human dignity.
  4. Community Impact: Neglected properties contribute to neighborhood blight, reducing investment and perpetuating cycles of poverty.

Systemic Context:

  • Root Causes: Slumlords thrive in systems with inadequate affordable housing, weak regulation, and income inequality. They are a symptom of broader failures in housing policy.
  • Regulatory Gaps: Weak enforcement of housing standards allows slumlords to operate, while insufficient subsidies or public housing leave tenants with few alternatives.

Conclusion:

Slumlords are primarily a blight, exacerbating poverty and inequality through exploitation and neglect. While they may fill a temporary gap in housing supply, their practices harm individuals and communities. Addressing the issue requires systemic solutions:

  • Policy Interventions: Strengthen tenant protections, enforce housing codes, and expand affordable housing initiatives.
  • Ethical Alternatives: Promote public housing, rent control, and community land trusts to provide dignified, sustainable housing.

Ultimately, the existence of slumlords underscores the need for structural reforms rather than tolerating exploitative stopgaps.

slumlords provide affordable housing. In many cities, there’s a shortage of affordable housing, so even if the housing is substandard, it might be the only option for low-income individuals or families. Without these slumlords, maybe there would be even fewer options, leading to homelessness. But then, the counterargument is that the conditions in these properties are terrible, possibly violating health and safety codes. So even if it’s affordable, is it acceptable for people to live in such conditions?

You’ve highlighted a critical tension in the debate about slumlords and affordable housing: the trade-off between availability and quality. Let’s break this down further:

The Argument That Slumlords Provide Affordable Housing:

  1. Housing Shortages: In many cities, affordable housing is scarce due to rising costs, gentrification, and insufficient public housing. Slumlords fill a gap by offering low-cost options, even if the conditions are poor.
  2. Preventing Homelessness: For some low-income individuals or families, substandard housing may be the only alternative to living on the streets or in shelters, which can be even more precarious.
  3. Market Realities: Slumlords often operate in neighborhoods where property values are low, and the cost of maintaining or improving housing exceeds what tenants can pay. Without them, these properties might remain vacant or be redeveloped into unaffordable housing.

The Counterargument: Unacceptable Living Conditions:

  1. Health and Safety Risks: Substandard housing often violates health and safety codes, exposing tenants to hazards like mold, lead paint, pests, faulty wiring, and structural instability. These conditions can lead to serious health problems, especially for vulnerable populations like children and the elderly.
  2. Exploitation: Slumlords often charge rents that are disproportionately high relative to the quality of the housing, exploiting tenants who have no other options.
  3. Moral and Ethical Concerns: Allowing people to live in such conditions raises ethical questions about dignity and human rights. Affordable housing should not come at the cost of basic safety and well-being.
  4. Long-Term Costs: Poor housing conditions can perpetuate cycles of poverty by affecting tenants’ health, education, and employment opportunities, ultimately costing society more in healthcare, social services, and lost productivity.

The Broader Systemic Issue:

The existence of slumlords is a symptom of deeper systemic failures:

  • Lack of Affordable Housing: Governments and private developers have not built enough affordable housing to meet demand, leaving low-income individuals with few options.
  • Weak Regulation and Enforcement: In many places, housing codes are not strictly enforced, allowing slumlords to operate with impunity.
  • Economic Inequality: Rising income inequality and stagnant wages make it difficult for many people to afford decent housing, forcing them into substandard options.

Is It Acceptable?

While slumlords may provide a temporary solution to housing shortages, the conditions they offer are fundamentally unacceptable. Affordable housing should not come at the cost of health, safety, or dignity. The solution lies in addressing the root causes of the problem:

  • Policy Solutions: Governments should invest in affordable housing, enforce stricter housing codes, and provide subsidies or incentives for landlords to improve properties.
  • Community Initiatives: Nonprofits and community land trusts can develop and maintain affordable, high-quality housing for low-income residents.
  • Tenant Protections: Stronger tenant rights and rent control measures can prevent exploitation and ensure that housing remains affordable and habitable.

In conclusion, while slumlords may fill a gap in the short term, their existence is a symptom of systemic failures that need to be addressed. Affordable housing should not mean substandard housing, and society must strive to provide safe, dignified living conditions for all.

Why Criminalizing Homelessness Fails Society: A Call for Compassionate Solutions

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Introduction
In cities worldwide, the visibility of homelessness often prompts punitive measures, including arrests for offenses like sleeping in public or loitering. However, jailing homeless individuals is a counterproductive approach that exacerbates systemic issues rather than resolving them. This article explores why criminalizing homelessness is ineffective, inhumane, and costly, while advocating for evidence-based alternatives.

1. The Ethical Failure of Punishing Poverty
Homelessness is rarely a choice. Systemic factors such as unaffordable housing, wage stagnation, mental illness, and lack of healthcare drive individuals into homelessness. Criminalizing these circumstances is inherently unjust, punishing people for conditions beyond their control. As the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Housing noted, laws targeting homelessness often violate human rights by discriminating against the poor. Jailing vulnerable populations ignores the root causes of homelessness, perpetuating cycles of marginalization.

implicating the Co-Ordinating The Use of Space Should Involve Inhabitants of Our Streets

2. Financial Costs: Jails vs. Solutions
Incarceration is expensive. The average annual cost to incarcerate one person in the U.S. exceeds 35,000,whereas providing permanent supportive housing—a proven solution—costs roughly 20,000–$25,000 per person annually. Cities like Houston and Salt Lake City have reduced chronic homelessness by up to 90% through Housing First initiatives, which prioritize housing without preconditions. Taxpayer dollars spent on jails could instead fund housing, mental health services, and job training, generating long-term societal savings.

3. Overburdening the Legal System
Arresting homeless individuals for minor offenses clogs courts and jails, diverting resources from serious crimes. In Los Angeles, for example, homeless individuals are disproportionately cited for low-level violations, straining law enforcement and judicial systems. A 2019 study found that 11% of LA County Jail inmates were homeless, highlighting how incarceration becomes a revolving door for those without stable housing.

4. Public Health and Safety Concerns
Jails are ill-equipped to address the complex needs of homeless populations, particularly those with mental health or substance use disorders. Incarceration often worsens these conditions, leading to higher relapse rates and vulnerability upon release. Conversely, access to healthcare, counseling, and harm reduction programs has proven more effective in improving outcomes. A 2020 study in Health Affairs found that supportive housing reduced emergency room visits by 40% among chronically homeless individuals.

For Many on the streets, the failure of other systems of family and faith lead to the desire for answers - often to solve problems in the economics of identity.

5. The Cycle of Criminalization
A criminal record creates barriers to employment, housing, and benefits, trapping individuals in homelessness. For example, a 2018 report by the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty revealed that 70% of U.S. cities ban camping in public, pushing homeless populations into further isolation and legal jeopardy. This punitive approach undermines trust in institutions, discouraging people from seeking help.

6. Alternatives That Work
Successful models emphasize dignity and support:

  • Housing First: Provides immediate housing with wraparound services, showing a 99% retention rate in Denver.
  • Mental Health Courts: Divert individuals to treatment instead of jail, reducing recidivism by 58% (Council of State Governments).
  • Outreach Programs: Cities like San Diego employ teams to connect homeless individuals with services, reducing street homelessness by 14% in two years.

Conclusion
Jailing homeless people is a costly, short-sighted strategy that deepens societal inequities. Compassionate policies addressing root causes—affordable housing, healthcare access, and economic support—offer a sustainable path forward. As a society, we must choose investment over punishment, recognizing that homelessness is not a crime but a systemic failure demanding urgent, humane solutions.

References:

  • United Nations Human Rights Council, “Report on Adequate Housing” (2016)
  • National Alliance to End Homelessness, Cost Studies (2021)
  • Journal of the American Medical Association, “Health Outcomes and Housing First” (2020)
  • U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, Housing First Evidence (2023)

BC Civil Liberties Association Suing Vancouver Over Daytime Shelter Ban

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Vancouver has been hit with a lawsuit over what human rights advocates call the city’s “cruel, dehumanizing, and deadly” daytime ban on homeless outdoor sheltering. Kier Junos has more.

By Emma Crawford

Posted January 30, 2025 6:34 pm. 

Last Updated January 30, 2025 7:07 pm.

The BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) says it is taking the City of Vancouver to court on behalf of unhoused people affected by a ban on daytime shelters.

Calling the ban “cruel, dehumanizing, and deadly,” the association is challenging the city bylaws that make it illegal for unhoused people to shelter outdoors during the day.

“Unhoused people deserve to have their government treat them with dignity and respect,” the BCCLA said. “Instead, many municipalities choose to enforce bans on daytime sheltering with callous cruelty by forcing people to either carry their belongings around all day or be violently decamped if they try to shelter.”

According to the group, unhoused people in Vancouver are subject to constant harassment, surveillance, and violence. In its enforcement of the ban, the association says, the city engages in daily street sweeps that destroy people’s personal belongings, including tents, sleeping bags, and medications.

Also read:

The city’s website says unhoused people are permitted to set up temporary shelters in parks from dusk to dawn but they must be removed at sunrise “to make parks available to support the health and well-being of the whole community.”

In a statement, the city says it can’t comment on matters before the courts, but confirmed staff will review the legal documentation once it is received.

The liberties association says it is “impossible” for those with physical or mental disabilities to set up and take down their shelter daily and then carry it throughout the day.

Jason Rondeau, one of the plaintiffs, was living on the streets for five years until recently when he got into social housing in the Downtown Eastside.

“For myself, it’s not really affecting me anymore because I am housed now,” Rondeau said.

“But I’ve got a lot of friends out there who are still in the thick of it, and their life is hard. Without the sweeps, their life is already hard.”

Vibert Jack, litigation director for the BCCLA, says the lawsuit will also address city bylaws that govern tents on the sidewalk.

“The courts have said already that these types of bylaws are unenforceable at night because it makes it impossible for people to sleep overnight in shelter,” Jack said.

“Our position is the same logic applies during the day.”

For three years, CRAB Park in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside was the only place in the city where unhoused people could legally camp in the daytime. This was closed late last year.

Now if you’re an unhoused person and you want to camp overnight in a Vancouver Park, you have to take down your tent every morning at 8 a.m.

In its claim, the BCCLA says the daytime shelter ban violates three separate sections of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, in that it subjects citizens to “extreme cruelty,” puts peoples’ safety, security, and survival at risk, and threatens equality rights of diverse people, including those with disabilities.

With files from Kier Junos and The Canadian Press.

Originally published on Vancouver City News’ Online site.

Authored By: Emma Crawford

How Do You Know You’re Dealing With A Slumlord ?

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Mar 11, 2020,08:00am EDT

Here are some telltale signs that you may be dealing with a slumlord.

  1. Deferred Maintenance. The most tested and true sign you may be dealing with a slumlord is the property’s physical condition. …
  2. Untimely Or Incomplete Tenant Work Orders. …
  3. Unlicensed Workers. …
  4. Cash Deals And No Leases. …
  5. No Respect For Tenants.
Photo:

Photo:GETTY

We have all heard the stories about roach-infested properties, overgrown landscaping so you’re left with researching on how to remove japanese knotweed, crime-ridden communities and beyond. Working in the real estate industry, you may have even met a few of these individuals who actually gloat and admire their abilities to manage a building while doing the least amount of work for the cheapest price.

These people are known as slumlords, and sadly, their methods are still alive and well. In fact, being a slumlord for some is actually a business model: running the property into the ground and utilizing as much depreciation as possible, not really caring what happens at the end of the property’s useful life. Although many investors have benefited from the aftermath of slumlords’ actions, in the end, more damage is done to the community and the people who have to live and work in the surrounding area.

Here are some telltale signs that you may be dealing with a slumlord.

1. Deferred Maintenance

The most tested and true sign you may be dealing with a slumlord is the property’s physical condition. Broken or boarded-up windows or doors, graffiti, trash, overgrown landscaping, broken or nonworking lights, and nonfunctional gates are several factors you want to be aware of. It’s one thing to have one or two of these items noted; it’s a whole other when the property as a whole appears drab and run-down. The lack of care is hard to ignore and is a good indicator that you may be dealing with a slumlord.

2. Untimely Or Incomplete Tenant Work Orders

Another sign to consider is how the work orders are handled with the tenants. Although laws differ throughout the country, common sense should tell you what a reasonable time frame for day-to-day work orders should be. Unless a major issue is at hand, such as heating or cooling, sewer, plumbing, roofing, or electrical, there is no justifiable reason items should not be addressed within reasonable time frames.

Orders for issues such as a running toilet, leaky sink, broken dishwasher or garbage disposal should all fall within a five-to-10-day range. Also, when the work is done, is should be fully completed with care and craftsmanship. Many slumlords are known for starting jobs and not finishing, or using the cheapest labor they can find. This typically leads to faulty work and can actually encourage the problem to get worse.

3. Unlicensed Workers

Some states are now requiring that property managers use licensed workers for all their property maintenance issues and that handymen can only work a limited number of hours if they are not licensed. Although a slumlord may not be required to follow these guidelines if they are not licensed, it’s always a good idea to determine who is doing the work around the property and if they are indeed licensed or not.

4. Cash Deals And No Leases

For slumlords, cash and limited or no leases at all are great strategies for “staying under the radar” from the IRS, as well as not being held to a binding contract. Ironically, the cash they collect does very little when a tenant without a lease decides not to pay or leaves the property in shambles after vacating. Nonetheless, the mindset of a slumlord doesn’t stop this type of behavior from happening.

5. No Respect For Tenants

Slumlords have the tendency to feel superior or show a lack of respect for their tenants. They might see addressing their tenants’ concerns is more of a privilege to the tenant than their obligation as the owner. The goal is to use and abuse tenants and do as little as possible, all the while collecting as much income as possible, while the property steadily declines. In the end, it is a receipt for disaster and has been a contributing factor to the erosion of communities.

What To Do

If you are considering buying an investment property from a slumlord, take heed. Although there could be “potential” in the numbers, some properties have established such a bad stigma through years of neglect that no amount of revitalization may be worth the return. Also, what you may be inheriting could be far worse than even the due diligence can discover. When the risk exceeds the rewards, don’t take the chance.

If you’re a current property owner and justify any of these items in your day-to-day management practice, you may want to reestablish your priorities and stop putting off the standard requirements involved in owing and running property. Once major issues start spiraling out of control, it becomes hard to catch up, but easier to let things slide.

If you’re neither an investor nor owner, but rather someone needing direction on how to combat a slumlord, your best bet is to call your local city or county and make a complaint, or call your local news station. The more pressure you put on these individuals, the less they are able to hide.

Alex Vasquez is the owner of Rhino Realty Property Management and Rhino Realty B&B, entrepreneur, investor, advisor, author and speaker.

I Need a Safe Place to Sleep Tonight 

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I Need a Safe Place to Sleep Tonight 

Safe, emergency shelters are available to people (19+ years old) who are currently homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless. We offer two locations: Hyland House in Newton and Bill Reid Place in Cloverdale. The shelters offer additional support for improving life skills, finding employment and/or housing, managing a home, integrating into the community and budgeting.

» Hyland House

6595 King George Blvd.
Surrey, BC  V3W 4Z4

Hyland House is a 35-bed shelter for men and women with single rooms, shower and laundry facilities and meals are provided. The facility is wheelchair accessible. There are 20 self-contained transitional houses for longer stays. For more information, please contact us at 604.599.8900.

» Bill Reid Place

17752 Colebrook Road
Surrey, BC  V3S 0L5

Bill Reid Place is a 16-bed shelter with 12 bachelor transition housing units, shower and laundry facilities and meals are provided. The facility is pet-friendly. For more information, please contact us at 604.574.4341.

» Extreme Weather Response

Dangerous, severe weather can be life-threatening if you are homeless. We offer response to Extreme Weather Alerts in Surrey, White Rock or Delta.

I Need Assistance with Housing Subsidy 

You may be eligible for a short term rental subsidy, please connect with us at 604.590.7368 or housing.registry@options.bc.ca.

I Need Transition Housing 

You may qualify for assistance from the Supported Housing program if you require additional support through an extended stay. This 32-unit Supported Housing component can help you achieve and maintain independence. Rent costs are based on current income and length of stay depends on ability to secure and maintain independence.

I Need Other Housing Outreach Support

If you are currently living on the street or are at-risk of homelessness, Outreach Workers are available to help you find housing, health and income support services. To get in touch with our Mobile Outreach Team please contact them at 604.765.6751 or hylandoutreach@options.bc.ca.

Other community resources are provided in our Surrey Survival Guide. It is in booklet format and available for download here. We make every effort to ensure the information is up-to-date. If you are aware of more current information, please notify us by email or call 604.596.4321.

I Want to See This Program Help More People

We want to assist those living on the street and people at-risk of homelessness the best we can. In order to do that, we need support from you! Please consider donating to our Shelter Services programs.  

Our Shelter Services programs are always in need of items such as: gift cards, gloves, hats, shoes, socks, backpacks, jackets, blankets, water and everyday personal hygiene items. If you are able to provide any of these items, please contact our Hyland House for drop-off instructions. Call 604.599.8900. 

Eligibility Criteria

For adults (19+ years old) who are in need of emergency shelter. Contact 604.599.8900.

Can you access the program directly?

Yes. You may access the program directly.

Referrals are also accepted from – but not limited to, the Ministry of Human Resources, Mental Health Centers, RCMP and other community agencies.

Other referral options

You may access the program directly.

Referrals are also accepted from – but not limited to, the Ministry of Human Resources, Mental Health Centers, RCMP and other community agencies.

Other Information

Volunteers Needed

Currently we are looking for volunteers to help support our shelters. For more information please click here.

Contact(s)

Bruce Strom
Senior Program Manager
604.599.8900 | bruce.strom@options.bc.ca

Originally Published on this website for Shelters and Housing Services

Mexican Border Burns

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TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) — The Mexican border cities of Tijuana, Mexicali, Rosarito and Ensenada were hit by gang violence that included vehicles being set ablaze and road blockades. The U.S. Consulate in Tijuana instructed its employees “to shelter in place until further notice” around midnight because of the violence. It was the third time this week Mexican cities have seen widespread arson and shootings by cartels. Ten vehicles were set ablaze in Tijuana, and Mayor Montserrat Caballero blamed it on disputes between drug gangs. Caballero issued an appeal to drug cartels, saying “settle your debts with those who didn’t pay what they owe, not with families and hard working citizens.”

Trumps Folly Wall

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

B.C.’s new vision

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B.C.’s new vision for mental health and addictions care

A Pathway to Hope: A roadmap for making mental health and addictions care better for people in British Columbia  charts a course to an improved future for health and well-being in B.C. 

In the comprehensive plan for mental health and substance use care, the government is introducing various evidence-based treatment options, and among them, 12 step therapy stands out as a valuable approach to support people living in B.C.’s mental health and well-being from youth to adulthood.

It also identifies priority actions the government will be taking over the next three years to help people experiencing mental health or substance use challenges right now. This roadmap of both short and long-term changes to B.C.’s mental health care system is based on four pillars:

  • Wellness promotion and prevention
  • Seamless and integrated care
  • Equitable access to culturally safe and effective care
  • Indigenous health and wellness

A Pathway to Hope is a plan to begin transforming B.C.’s mental health and substance use service system from its current crisis-response approach to a system based on wellness promotion, prevention and early intervention where people are connected to culturally safe and effective care when they need it. At its heart, it represents a new way forward for B.C. built on compassion, care and the perspectives of people with lived experience of mental health and substance use challenges, that breaks down barriers and meets people where they’re at. Additionally, the initiative aims to prioritize mental health by breaking down barriers and meeting people where they’re at.

#mentalhealth #addiction #mentalwellbeing #peaceofmind #bccanada