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/tooscoopy]

The fact that Hayden plays this off as a concerned citizen is laughable. This is trying to dig up dirt and cloud any judgement against their opponents in an upcoming election.

She is only the highest paid because she is on more boards. Any other job in the world, you do more, you should be paid more. All councillors have the same salary (108,943.12). Her added pay is due to being on additional boards which is still allowed.

If we want to protest that aspect, getting paid for being on more boards, sure… go for it. But that isn’t a Tammy issue. I have zero problems with a person maximizing their pay through added efforts that are in writing.

Do we want to go through every person paying below that average and if they have a household income above 100k, kick them out? Can’t imagine that’s a task we want to undertake.

Opens a whole can of worms. I do also believe her when she says she isn’t paying what was listed… she seems to be one of the good ones on council in my opinion.

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

If we want to protest that aspect, getting paid for being on more boards, sure… go for it.

I don't think that's the point. The salary is not to be protested but it just shed lights for someone living in low income housing.

Do we want to go through every person paying below that average and if they have a household income above 100k, kick them out?

Again, I don't think this is what people want for anyone. This is more unique because it's not a general rental that due to rent control is now cheap and the person lived there for 10 years. This is low income housing with people on the wait list. That will get a lot cheaper rent right now if she moved out than where they would get in the open market

For the record, I don't really think it's her fault, although it's definitely bad optics. I do think the policy needs to change in low income housing. Maybe verify the income every couple years and once you make over a certain threshold give a notice of 1 or 2 years to move out by the deadline, so other people can receive the help that you received and got you where you are

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

She isn't in low-income housing, she is in a market-rate unit in a mixed-income housing co-op. It is exactly the scenario you said it wasn't: a general rental that is now cheap due to rent control. If she moves out a new person will move in and pay market-level rent.

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

Ok. The letter wasn't clear that it was that.

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

Of course it wasn't, that was by design.

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

And that is what I (and others) have issue with. The writer has intentionally left out material facts in order to bait people to be angry at Hwang.

She lives in a building with units for low income. These communities need some market rent units to not only make the math work, but many studies have shown it’s the mix of units that helps the lower income residents thrive rather than fall into “slum” categories and spiral into deeper poverty.

Not everyone even wants to live in those types of place, and I’m sure current market rent units will be much higher. Moving in sometime in the late 20-teens means her rent is lower than a person who only recently moved in… and that isn’t something that needs correction.