Carleton University students are scrambling to find a new place to live after learning they must leave a popular student apartment building by the end of August over mould issues.
Envie Little Italy, which sits at 101 Champagne Ave., caters to students and young professionals who want to live near the university. The building has been under the control of a court-appointed receiver since February after the owner defaulted on more than $60 million in mortgage debt.
A motion has been brought before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to sell the property to a new owner — on the condition the building is empty, so the new buyer can address the mould issues.
The receiver said in the motion that mould was found in several units and they need to evict all tenants to deal with the problem.
“I was in disbelief,” said recent Carleton graduate Jayendra Kurukulasekara, who learned on July 23 that he and his neighbours are being evicted. “But I know what they are doing is a renoviction.”
Renovictions happen when a landlord evicts tenants to complete major renovations on the leased property. Ottawa city council recently passed a motion to research a bylaw to address the issue.
Third-year chemistry student Julia Gervais is taking summer classes and said she has been stressed out over finding a new place to live before the summer ends.
“I’m supposed to be studying for my finals, but now I have to go and look for housing,” Gervais said. “It’s really hard to find a place that’s close to Carleton for the same price.”
According to its website, apartments start at an all inclusive price of $1,300 a month (based on a room in a shared unit).
Had the eviction been communicated sooner, Gervais would have had more time to find another place, she said.
“All the good spots have already been taken up,” Gervais said. “We’re forced to be picking from the bottom of the barrel of housing.”
Both Kurukulasekara and Gervais said they have heard about mould problems from other tenants in the building but have not dealt with any in their own units.
The court-appointed receiver wants a judge to end all leases and sell the building by the end of the month.
“We recognize that this is a time of uncertainty for tenants and are committed to being a reliable source of information and assistance throughout the process,” building manager Varsity Communities told the Charlatan in an email.
“As legal proceedings are ongoing, we are unable to provide further comment at this time.”
Though the fate of Envie Little Italy’s residents is not yet sealed while court proceedings are underway, the situation has already taken a toll on Gervais.
“I have had to get extensions on current assignments,” she said. “It’s been so hard for me to do my work with all this going on.”
Kurukulasekara said he is optimistic the deadline to move out will be extended, especially after a lawyer agreed to represent residents for free. He said he has been knocking on doors to rally residents together and ensure people are aware of their rights.
“Everyone’s banding together,” Kurukulasekara said. “We’re all doing our part so we don’t get taken advantage of.”
This story originally appeared in The Charlatan, Carleton University’s independent student newspaper. It has been republished here with permission.
