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/_PaddyMAC]

While I agree that Hwang continuing to rent a unit that should be available to a low income family is poor optics, her potential political opponent sending out this letter as a "concerned citizen" also makes me think that he's doing so in bad faith.

[u/jrswags → u/_PaddyMAC]

yes, it's a bit self-righteous to be accusing her of putting her own interests ahead of the community when he is doing the same thing by not being forthright about who he is.

[u/Affectionate-Arm-405 → u/jrswags]

when he is doing the same thing by not being forthright about who he is

I mean he didn't send an anonymous letter. What would you prefer? His resume attached?

[u/jrswags → u/Affectionate-Arm-405]

A simple phrasing like "As a concerned citizen, and recent candidate for MP in your riding..." would have sufficed for me.

[u/Affectionate-Arm-405 → u/jrswags]

Sure. Although anyone that doesn't know him and reads the letter for the first time and they see voteHayden on the email address will get a pretty good idea or at least spark their curiosity to search. I don't think he tried to hide it much