Will I be Evicted?

**This featured case is one example of the concerns people have brought to us. Names have been changed to protect the identity of the people involved.

April* lived in a building complex operated by a provincial housing authority. She received a letter from them that said if they received any more complaints about her, she would be evicted with 30 days notice. April recognized that she was not a quiet person and sometimes raised questions or got involved in the complaints of others. Sometimes other tenants went to her for support. At other times, they were frustrated and complained about her. What April didn’t know was what the complaints were actually about. She felt threatened and was afraid to step outside her door for fear she would do something to get evicted.

When April called us, we listened and talked over the situation with her. We contacted the housing authority and they agreed to sit down with April in a meeting facilitated by our office. The meeting would cover:

– the reasons behind the letter.

– the types of complaints received.

– the process for raising issues with the housing authority. – how they make decisions.

– how they handle complaints.

The meeting was extremely productive and got to the root of assumptions made on both sides. At the end of it, the housing authority understood April better. April understood what the complaints were about and the process the housing authority undertook for dealing with them. She knew that she would have an opportunity to respond to any complaints made about her and what kinds of behaviour to avoid. She believed that she had been heard. Best of all, the housing authority invited her to tear up their letter and make a fresh start.

*Names have been changed to protect identity.