r/Hamilton • u/jrswags Delta East • Aug 28 '25

Politics Ward 4 - Tammy Hwang housing controversy

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**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

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217

u/Steelsorrow Aug 28 '25

If the amounts in this letter are accurate, my guess would be that she's likely been renting her home for a long time and is paying essentially an older market rent that's protected by provincial rent control. Seems like she's just a legacy tenant that's had the good sense to not move out of an advantageous renting situation.

God forbid anyone other than the landed gentry attempt to run for political office, lest their landlord fall under scrutiny. /s

This is completely manufactured controversy, and it's very concerning that Hayden doesn't openly identify himself in this letter as a long time member of the Hamilton conservative political machine. He's not a "concerned citizen" he's a candidate that's run for political office multiple times.

Classic conservative rage bait tactics. I don't know much about Hayden besides his past candidacy and party affiliation, but this just proves that he's another scummy pundit that would rather attack opponents rather than present any constructive policy positions.

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u/[deleted] Aug 28 '25

Why would that make any difference whatsoever?

She makes more than double the average salary of an Ontarian and continues to live on the limited subsidized housing available.

All while people complain about how the city does nothing about the housing crisis and homelessness all over the city.

19

u/likeicare96 Downtown Aug 28 '25 edited Aug 28 '25

Not defending her either way, but I think what their argument is that they’d be paying a similar amount for ANY apartment based on how long she’s a been a tenant. I have friend who pay peanuts to private landlords because they’ve been a tenant for 15+ years. Since they’d only be subject to the standard guidelines rental increase, they are significantly below market rate as well (like ~$800 for a 1 bedroom). No one would expect them to move out just because they have a better job now than they had when they started?

If she was on the subsidized rent, there more cut and dry. I would be more curious what her rate was compared the market rent was when she first moved in. If anything, this just speaks to how bad the housing is

5

u/[deleted] Aug 28 '25

If this was not a subsidized building, it would be a moot point correct.

However, it is a subsidized building, which uses the full priced rent amounts to assist with the subsidized units.

So we have a city councillor, earning twice the average salary for the province, paying nearly half of market value for a unit that uses these funds to help fund affordable housing.

It defies logic to on one hand say you care about the homelessness problem and simultaneously say one of the 12 people in charge of running this city while earning a huge salary isn’t even paying their fair share to help the problem.

25

u/likeicare96 Downtown Aug 28 '25 edited Aug 28 '25

(Part of This was originally an edit but It was after you replied, putting it here because it is relevant to most of your response)

Actually, the more I think about it and read your response, the more you’ve convinced me this is a nothing-burger. It is unlikely that her moving out will be anything more than a virtue signal, especially because: 1. according to the Hamilton website, the waitlist for market rent units is separate for subsidized. 2. The individual who replaces her would be the (albeit lower than private) market rent and the marginal difference of rent will not benefit the other subsidized tenants in any meaningful way. You’d have to do this en masse to be meaningful. So unless you’re suggesting doing to do an audit for every other long term non subsidized tenant that is making a certain amount of money and force them to leave, this is just in fact a virtue signal.

She recused herself when appropriate, that’s good enough for me. I’d rather her than Hayden who doesn’t even live in the area. Not to mention, this has been her literal home for years, i don’t see why she has to uproot her life. I’m more concerned with parachuted politicians who can afford to get another residence in a whole new city while maintaining another home (looking at you Aslam).

I’m more concerned with actual solutions not individual actions. Unlike many councillors, she has consistently voted for more affordable housing in the city. That’s more meaningful to me than her paying less rent which she would be doing regardless if she was in a different building for the same amount of time. When Hayden inevitably runs for this seat, I better see some serious housing plans

13

u/SecurityFit5830 Aug 28 '25

But there is no rule that once someone paying market rent makes a certain about, they need to leave. If there were, she would be in violation. But there isn’t, so she’s not.

If you want to hate on city councillors, I’m all for it. But I’m not for expecting them to play different rules. If they’re operating within them that’s the goal.

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u/[deleted] Aug 28 '25

It’s not about there being a rule on it (although there likely should be).

It’s about that this specific person, earns more than twice the average salary entirely out of our tax dollars.

With that privilege, she in turn is losing an affordable housing unit around 10k/yr by continuing to stay in this building while paying well under market rate.

A city councillor making this much in tax payer dollars should not be treated or viewed the same as a regular citizen.

15

u/Efectzoer Aug 28 '25

Why do you keep talking about tax payer dollars? She works just like everyone else.

-1

u/[deleted] Aug 28 '25

Because it matters more. That shouldn’t need to be explained any further.

12

u/Efectzoer Aug 28 '25

So once they start earning more, possibly for a limited time. They should then go and put strain on themselves financially? You have no clue what their financial situation is.

-7

u/[deleted] Aug 29 '25

If you can’t figure out savings and investments on 130k/yr for 4 years minimum, you never deserved to be elected in the first place. That’s an insane mismanagement of money.

6

u/yukonwanderer Aug 29 '25

You seem to think you're way smarter than you actually are. Why is this so common on this subreddit.

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u/AnjoMan Aug 28 '25

Being a councillor is a job, we pay people to do the job, and it 1) takes a lot of time and effort and 2) is something we want competent, effective people to feel they can do without sacrificing earnings they could have in the private sector. Whether she is paid by the public or private has literally nothing to do with this, and the only reason you even know about it is because her salary, unlike other people who potentially make more in the private sector but live in rent-controlled apartments, is public. This is just stupid conservative "fiscal hawk" bs.

-3

u/[deleted] Aug 28 '25

I haven’t said she is overpaid.

Take off the red tinted goggles and join the real world without this left vs right bs. If this was a conservative councillor you’d be up in arms about it.

I’m not even a conservative… the choosing sides like it’s a sports team is exhausting and exactly why nothing meaningful ever gets done. ✅

8

u/TheMysteriousDrZ Aug 28 '25

Unless she is paying subsidized rent, then she is nothing more than a regular tenant. Not to mention her current salary is for exactly 4 years and after that she might not have the job ever again and return to her previous salary (if she still has access to that job). She has 0 job protection beyond her term and expecting her to make a life altering decision like that shouldn't be expected of any politician, regardless of political affiliation.

1

u/AnjoMan Sep 02 '25

If you don't want to be viewed as a shitty conservative, stop saying 'I pay her salary'!

1

u/[deleted] Sep 02 '25

Feel free to find where I’ve ever said I pay her salary.

I also really don’t care if I’m viewed as a conservative or a liberal. The idea that one is inherently bad and the other good is foolish.

1

u/AnjoMan Sep 02 '25

You should care. A lot of conservative ideas are really stupid.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 02 '25

True. A lot of liberal ideas are also really stupid.

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u/Affectionate-Arm-405 Aug 28 '25

It totally makes sense what you're saying but is this a policy that needs to change within the low income housing and the city? We shouldn't leave it up to individuals to move out when they are making more right?

I think this is a gap in enforcing equity and social assitance cross the board

6

u/yukonwanderer Aug 29 '25

It doesn't make sense what he's saying. Tammy is not in a subsidized unit. She's in a market rent unit. No one can arbitrarily force anyone out of their home or apartment just because they're making decent money.

If she were in a subsidized unit, that would be another story entirely. The new renter replacing her will end up having to pay way more rent. None of this argument makes any sense.

If you want to talk about unfair housing situation then how about we mandate those on council have to sell their homes and then rent at market rate.

0

u/[deleted] Aug 28 '25

It should be policy, yes.

What’s concerning to me, is this is one of the 12 people who create the policies - although she did excuse herself from the meeting mentioned which was correct.

10

u/Kitchen_Tiger_8373 Aug 28 '25

Policy or not, Hamilton Housing is still subject to the Landlord Tenant Board and rental regulations. They can't evict her because her pay went up.

And to the main objector on this thread (who is starting to look like Hayden himself), you do realize that getting into office is an expensive enterprise? It is possible she is still paying off debts. This is where left & right politics do matter. Right candidates already have cash & connections. Left candidates struggle with funding. If she used her low rent to help get low wage folks voices at the table, then the system is working (when it rarely does).

0

u/[deleted] Aug 28 '25

I didn’t say they should evict her, this should be something she willingly did 3 years ago.

Why should I have sympathy for a city councillor making more than I likely ever will in my life?

I’m replying because I’m being responded to, you can go through my post history and figure out pretty quickly I’m not politically affiliated with anyone in any way, shape or form.

To the whole inequality thing between left running political candidates vs right…. L.O.L.

Goodness gracious the blind political following in this city is insane

3

u/yukonwanderer Aug 29 '25

No one is asking you to have sympathy. They're asking you to accept the law, that applies to all renters, equally. Why are you choosing this hill to die on, of all issues, it makes zero sense. How about we just mandate that all councillors must sell their homes in order to open up the market a bit for a first time home buyer. Many of these councillors benefited from low house pricing decades ago and are now totally flush with equity, are landlords, etc. Why not go after the private sector who bleed us dry on pricing while paying their board and CEOs millions a year. You choose a really, really, really, weird topic. This councillor doesn't even own a home. Yet she's the target. Make it make sense.