A Toronto councillor is crusading against tenants who defraud the city's social housing system, and says the problem is more widespread than many at City Hall realize.
Scarborough Centre representative Michael Thompson recently learned a social housing tenant at 1021 Birchmount Road was subletting her unit for double what she was paying and pocketing the change.
He says that's a blatant abuse of a system designed to help people afford decent homes.
Since appearing on CTV News with his concerns a few weeks ago, Thompson has heard from residents from across the city with stories of others who are also abuing the system
"It is evident there is more to this and it is perhaps a lot more widespread than has been stated," he told CTV Toronto on Saturday.
"More people are coming forward saying, 'This is a problem. It has been a problem for quite some time. We have actually been attempting to bring this to light but no one would listen.'"
A Toronto Community Housing Corporation spokesperson told CTV Toronto the agency does not believe subletting is a widespread problem.
Since November 2006, TCHC has taken action against 10 tenants for allegedly subletting their units in contravention of their lease. Six of those 10 were evicted.
The case at 1021 Birchmount will be going before the Ontario Housing Tribunal, but Thompson says that's not enough. He would like to see the city-funded agency launch a full-scale investigation.
The Toronto Community Housing Corporation runs 350 subsidized buildings, many with rents geared to tenants' incomes.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Alicia Kay-Markson
