Green Party of Ontario leader Mike Schreiner released the following statement about rent relief for residential tenants:

“May 1 is just around the corner and we know that many people do not have the money to pay rent after a second month of lost earnings.

Other provinces have all offered direct financial payments to get people through these tough times.

But so far, Ontario is one of the only provinces to leave families in the lurch without any form of rent relief, instead relying on the goodwill of landlords alone.

Today the Minister of Housing asked the federal government to step in, but it is not good enough to simply pass the buck to Ottawa. Rent is a provincial responsibility.

Ontario must be willing to help people keep a roof over their head.

I continue to call for an Emergency Rent Fund to plug the holes in other relief programs and ensure that no one falls through the cracks.”

source: media release, Green Party of Ontario