Manitoba says it’s investigating College Avenue apartment evictions

The state of Manitoba says it’s investigating nan evictions astatine a North End flat building earlier this week.

Numerous residents were forced to time off an flat connected College Avenue successful Winnipeg this week, pinch minimal notice. Many tenants told Global News they were offered money to time off abruptly and were locked retired of their apartments, and immoderate had their individual belongings removed and tossed out.

Kyle Lemke was 1 of them.

“It’s severely impacted my life, it was by each means, arsenic I suspected astatine first, an forbidden eviction,” Lemke told Global News.

Lemke is now staying successful a hotel, trying to determine what to do next.

“My finances are evidently dwindling correct now,” he said. “Homelessness is not thing I’ve ever experienced, and not thing I ever want to experience.”

During a property convention Wednesday afternoon, Housing, Addictions and Homelessness Minister Bernadette Smith said galore of nan landlord’s alleged actions are illegal.

“I conscionable opportunity shame connected that landlord. He needs to beryllium portion of nan solution and he needs to make amends for what he has done,” Smith said.

“And he’s going to beryllium held accountable by this government.”

The state says it’s moving to place and interaction each of nan residents of nan flat building to thief them find lodging and to thief compensate tenants for individual items that were thrown retired by spot management. It says residents are capable to make a declare against nan landlord and is urging them to interaction nan Residential Tenancies Branch for further steps.

Trending Now

It will besides beryllium conducting an investigation into nan landlord’s actions.

“This could adhd up to substantive charges,” Consumer Protection and Government Services Minister Lisa Naylor said.

“And if investigation reveals criminal action has gone connected here, past it tin beryllium referred to nan justness system.”

Marion Willis, nan laminitis and executive head of Street Links, says galore of nan tenants antecedently lived successful bum encampments and were re-housed by her organization. She says she besides has concerns this landlord will return akin action astatine different rental property.

“The group successful that building, astatine slightest 50 per cent of them are group we’ve taken retired of encampments and housed successful that building,” Willis said. “They aren’t group you’re going to messiness with, but they’re quality beings, though, and they person arsenic overmuch of a correct arsenic you do and I do to beryllium housed.”