July’s fatal rooming house fire sparks plan for bad landlord tip line

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This article was published 14/09/2016 (3061 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The North Point Douglas rooming house fire that claimed the lives of two residents in July has prompted local organizations to develop a campaign to improve living conditions and a tip line for bad landlords.

Local activist Sel Burrows said rooming house residents need the community’s help.

“Rooming house residents are the most vulnerable people living in our community and we owe them a commitment to make their lives as positive as possible,” Burrows said.

Burrows and leaders from the Grace Point Church and the North Point Douglas Women’s Centre will launch the campaign Thursday morning.

“Going back from before the fire, we had started a campaign in Point Douglas to improve living conditions in rooming houses,” Burrows said. “After the fire, we thought ‘what could we do to prevent further tragedy and make the quality of life for our folk better.’”

Burrows said they hit upon the idea of getting information to rooming house residents on building code and fire code requirements and a tip line they can call to report infractions.

The groups will be distributing pamphlets to residents of all rooming houses, which ask a series of questions about their living conditions and give the residents three phone numbers they can call if they have concerns.

The three phone numbers are tied to Grace Point Church, the North Point Douglas Women’s Centre, and Burrows’ organization, Point Powerline. Staff at the three groups will act as go-between for residents, passing along their complaints to city hall.

Burrows said the campaign will help rooming house residents realize what their rights are and assist them in reporting issues.

Two residents died on July 7 after an early-morning fire ripped through a rooming house at 186 Austin Street North. Officials suspect arson. The fire prompted Couns. Ross Eadie and Janice Lukes to call on city staff to change its inspection procedures for rooming houses.

Only after the fire did elected officials learn there are no mandatory inspections of rooming houses. Inspections for livability standards only occur on complaints or when new owners apply for a licence.

The city has 176 licensed rooming houses and another 469 facilities that had been single family homes or duplexes that have been converted into triplexes or four-plexes.

Rooming houses and converted residences used to be inspected for living standard violations every two years but, when the livability bylaw came into effect in 2015, those inspections were eliminated in favour of a complaint-based process. The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Services committed to inspecting rooming houses and other converted residential dwellings on an annual basis but has been unable to do all 645 buildings.

City officials are backing the campaign, Burrows said.

“We have an extremely positive relationship with both bylaw enforcement and fire prevention department – they have been spectacularly good in supporting us in what we are doing,” Burrows said.

One of the brochures will inform residents of what they can expect from a landlord and the other is check list of rooming house fire code provisions. Visitors are encouraged to call 311 or one of the three organization numbers to report violations.

The tip line is intended to help those people who fear retaliation from landlords if they file complaints personally. Burrows said city officials have committed to investigating all complaints and issuing repair orders if warranted.

“We see that we have a very positive approach to a problem that needs to be solved,” Burrows said. “

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca

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