The Brampton Housing Provider Association (BHPA) held its first meeting on June 2, 2024. This was an important event in working towards fair housing practices in Brampton. Many people attended, and the event was very professionally planned.
The meeting started with the National Anthem and a land acknowledgment. This was to honour the Indigenous people of the area and set a respectful tone.
There were several notable speakers at the event, including Boubah Bah, the Chair of SOLO (Small Ownership Landlords Of Ontario); Kevin Costain from SOLO; Chris Seepe from the Durham Landlord Association and author of “Landlording In Ontario”; and Weiting Bollu, Co-Founder of OpenRoom. These speakers showed the wide support within the landlord community.
The idea to start BHPA came from a need to address housing issues in a constructive and team-oriented way. The media often shares negative stories about landlords, but many are dedicated and responsible. They care about their tenants and the community. However, landlords also face challenges with tenants not paying rent, damaging property, and seeking cash-for-keys deals, which are also media headlines.
The mission of BHPA is to create a network where Brampton landlords can share best practices, learn about fair housing standards, and work together to find solutions to housing problems.
The group started in January 2024 to fight against the city’s rental licensing. They saw the need for an organization to advocate for landlords at the city level. This includes opposition to rules like Residential Rental Licensing (RRL) and pushing the provincial government to fix the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB). Landlords face challenges with the city’s strict approach, especially as Brampton City Hall focuses on corporate rentals and overlooks small landlords’ needs.
Weiting Bollu, Co-Founder OpenRoom
Chris Seepe Member of Durham Landlord Association and Author of Landlording In Ontario
The core values of BHPA include:
- Creating a Balanced Narrative: Ensuring fair interactions between landlords and tenants. They advocate for fair treatment from regulatory bodies and address issues that harm housing providers.
- Improving Landlord-Tenant Relationships: Encouraging clear and honest communication to build trust between landlords, tenants, and authorities.
- Collaboration: Solving the housing crisis requires teamwork. BHPA brings together landlords, tenants, government agencies, and other groups to find new and inclusive solutions.
- Support: Helping small and independent housing providers navigate complex rules and financial challenges. They advocate for policies that benefit both landlords and tenants for a fair housing market.
- Advocacy: Voicing the concerns of Brampton landlords at the city and provincial levels to ensure fair policies and regulations.
Future actions include organizing a public protest at City Hall where landlords can share their concerns and suggestions about the RRL. They aim to push for fair reforms of the RRL to help good landlords. BHPA is committed to improving the processing times and fairness at the LTB. Working with SOLO and others, they will push for changes to the Residential Tenancies Act.
BHPA’s efforts aim to create a positive outcome for both tenants and landlords. Responsible landlords should not be punished for the actions of a few bad ones, and tenants should live in well-maintained properties. Through these efforts, BHPA hopes to create a supportive and fair housing environment in Brampton.
Small landlords in Brampton are invited to visit the BHPA website at www.bhpa.ca to register for free. For assistance, landlords can contact the association at info@bhpa.ca. This association is for small landlords and by the landlords. This is a start of something new.
For more information and updates, please visit the BHPA website or contact them directly. Together, we can make a positive change in Brampton’s housing community.