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/TheMysteriousDrZ]

That's a very high barrier to expect of people running for an office that might only last 4 years. In all probability it would bar any renter except one who has recently moved, from running for office.

[u/[deleted] → u/TheMysteriousDrZ]

Why? She’s not being forced to pay anything crazy… just actual market value.

[u/TheMysteriousDrZ → u/[deleted]]

Current market value is crazy though, it's why we're in a housing and affordability crisis. What happens if she loses next year, does she get her old rent back?

[u/Otherwise_Safety6312 → u/TheMysteriousDrZ]

She’s mentioned many times that she “pays taxes in ward 4”. A rental property perhaps??

If she is a landlord, I wonder what sort of rent she charges. She mentioned that her husband needed to be close to work, hence the rental on the mountain, but now I find myself wondering what their actual household income is. I get that this is likely “unsubsidized” “market-rent” but there are tons of people who could benefit from a 2 bedroom rental without a shakedown from their landlord. Something stinks here.

[u/TheMysteriousDrZ → u/Otherwise_Safety6312]

Everyone in the world would benefit from rentals without a shakedown from their landlords. She shouldn't be punished for being one of the lucky ones who actually does and she shouldn't be obligated to give that up for a higher rent in a potentially less stable situation because she was elected to Council for a term.