Organizing as Tenants

Our building is home to a diverse group of working-class people – seniors, people with disabilities, single moms and young kids, new immigrants, students, and working people. We are a tight-knit community. 

In December 2022, our landlord put the building up for sale. We feared rent hikes and reno-victions if he were to sell to a private equity company or real estate investment trust – increasingly common in the Hamilton rental market. We organized a tenant association to have each others’ backs and prepare to fight back.

With the support of the Golden Horseshoe Co-operative Housing Federation,
we dreamed big. We voted as a tenant association to try to fundraise to buy the building and turn it into a non-profit rental housing co-op. If we could fundraise the money needed for the down payment, we could get a mortgage for the rest, to be paid off over time through our rents. We could hold onto our affordable homes and keep our community intact.

Taking Control of our Homes

In June 2024, after months of effort, our dream came true. We closed on
the purchase and took over the management of the building. We are
grateful to our financial partners at New Market Funds, FirstOntario
Credit Union, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, and City of
Hamilton for supporting us.

At Caroline Co-op, housing charges are kept low, in accordance with the
non profit model. We can prioritize repairs, accessibility, aging in place, and energy retrofits.

Before, our rents lined our landlord’s pocket. Now, we decide where our hard-earned money goes. Collectively, we control our homes, for the benefit of current residents and future generations.