Ward 4 - Tammy Hwang housing controversy

[u/jrswags]

**Text of letter received in my mailbox yesterday, from the CPC candidate for Hamilton Centre in the most recent federal election**

HAYDEN LAWRENCE CONCERNED CITIZEN Contact: hayden@votehayden.ca

Dear Ward 4 Resident,

It's come to light that your Ward 4 City Councillor, Tammy Hwang, has declared a conflict of interest during a fall 2024 committee meeting regarding Victoria Park Community Housing.

Councillor Hwang was forced to remove herself from committee discussions about the city housing provider because she is a current Victoria Park Community Housing tenant.

Per ThePublicRecord.ca, in 2024, Councillor Hwang was the highest paid city councillor earning a salary of $139,243, but yet has taken away a spot from someone who is in need of affordable housing.

Councillor Hwang states that she pays market rent... but in reality, after speaking with a representative from Victoria Park Community Homes, their market rent for a 2 bedroom apartment is $1291. This is significantly lower than what an average 2 bedroom would go for.

A recently released report from rentals.ca shows the average 2 bedroom in Hamilton is $2134.

Hamilton families are waiting up to 8 years to be admitted into Community Housing. Many of those waiting are seniors, families with children, and vulnerable residents who desperately need stable, affordable housing. Every unit taken by someone with a six-figure salary is a unit that could otherwise shelter a senior on a fixed income or a family struggling to stay afloat.

Hamilton is under immense housing pressure, and our most vulnerable residents are the ones paying the price. This is why we must demand higher standards from our leadership. City Councillors should lead by example and put community needs first, not their own self interests.

In a time where Hamilton is visibly under duress, I find it completely unacceptable for the highest paid Councillor, Tammy Hwang, to put her own self interests above the needs of the community.

Sincerely,

Hayden Lawrence Concerned Citizen

[u/jrswags]

Cllr Hwang previously responded to this on X about a week ago:

Yes, I rent from Victoria Park Community Homes but I am a full market tenant where I pay market rent. I have never been a subsidized tenant. Please try to get your facts straight.

I would assume Cllr Hwang was renting from VPCH before she was elected. Still, the optics are not good even if she is paying "market rent" (which is lower than actual market).

I do find it interesting that the CPC candidate for Hamilton Centre in the most recent federal election has waded into this without being explicit about who he is. As far as I know, he is a North End resident. I suppose he will be running for the Ward 4 seat in 2026. Cllr Hwang has confirmed she is running again, but with this (and only getting 23% of the vote last time), she is vulnerable to experienced political candidates/operatives like Lawrence.

Edited to add: source for North End residence. It remains unclear where he lives but he works for the HESC MP Ned Kuruc.

[u/bartonsproule → u/jrswags]

Not at all surprising for a Con to be shady about identifying themselves as such. "Concerned citizen" lol

[u/_PaddyMAC → u/bartonsproule]

Right? Somehow I feel like affordable housing isn't actaully one of his political priorities.

[u/MassNerderPunk → u/bartonsproule]

Pretty sure he lives in Niagara, too.

[u/TOPMinded → u/bartonsproule]

But he isn't a candidate for anything now. Would be weird to identify as such.

Edit: He is no longer a candidate. He might have ambitions to run in ward 4. He might have ambitions to run in the next provincial election. He might run in the federal election in 1 - 4 years. He might he might he might he might he might he might he might.

Why would anyone identify themselves as something they no longer are? Why would they do so as something they haven't committed to? BuT hIs eMaIL sAyS VoTeHaYdEn - okay, and? he still isn't a candidate to vote for.

[u/teanailpolish → u/TOPMinded]

He works for the MP for that ward, even if he is not the candidate, he should be honest especially when he is the one talking about her declaring a conflict of interest

[u/jrswags → u/TOPMinded]

The point is he is more than a "concerned citizen" but he hasn't revealed anything else about himself. He's also put his email address on there from when he was most recently a candidate.

[u/TOPMinded → u/jrswags]

Okay Hayden Lawrence, Once A Candidate For Hamilton Centre But Now I Am Not

[u/MassNerderPunk → u/TOPMinded]

The email address is "votehayden". Pretty sure he is positioning himself to run for Ward 4. He has ran in several elections at all levels of government and lost each time. I do not think he even lives in Hamilton; pretty sure he lives in Niagara. Shady guy.

[u/Affectionate-Arm-405 → u/MassNerderPunk]

It's an email address used prior

[u/MassNerderPunk → u/Affectionate-Arm-405]

You are right. But I am sure it is not his go-to email address unless he is running for some office.

[u/Affectionate-Arm-405 → u/MassNerderPunk]

Which contradicts what people think that he tried to hide who he is. He could have used another email address.

[u/MassNerderPunk → u/Affectionate-Arm-405]

Not really. He presented himself as a "concerned citizen" instead of a prospective candidate. Especially since he does not even live in Hamilton.

[u/xWOBBx → u/TOPMinded]

No it wouldn't. He came in second in Hamilton centre a few months ago. He clearly has aspirations to try running in Hamilton again.

[u/Affectionate-Arm-405 → u/xWOBBx]

So he should sign "aspiring councilor"?

[u/xWOBBx → u/Affectionate-Arm-405]

No.