Insights from 462 Kingston Tenants Illuminate the Path to Affordable, Safe, and Dignified Housing
The JRK Affordable Housing Working Group is proud to announce the release of the “Kingston Tenant Experiences Survey Summary Report.” The report, based on responses from 462 tenants, combines statistical analysis with qualitative narratives to offer a comprehensive understanding of the housing landscape in Kingston and the ongoing challenges tenants face.
In a climate where tenants’ voices are often marginalized or dismissed, the “Kingston Tenant Experiences Survey Report” reinforces lived experiences with quantitative metrics and underscores the need for evidence-based policy interventions that prioritize housing affordability, safety, and tenant rights.
Key findings from the report include:
- Increased unaffordability for new tenants: Rental costs are an ongoing concern with 55% of tenants who have moved within the past year reporting their rent is unaffordable. On average, rent for new units is 54% higher than occupied units, with three- and four-bedroom units seeing the greatest increases.
- Most rental units have at least one serious maintenance issue: 87-89% of tenants found at least one issue in their unit or building. Tenants reported high rates of public health issues like mould (30%) and cockroaches or other bugs (23%).
- City’s eviction rate higher than the national average: Over one in four (26%) of Kingston tenants have been evicted or threatened with eviction, significantly higher than the 2021 national average of 12.8%.
- Threat of eviction stops tenants from getting repairs: Tenants cite fear of angering their landlord and losing their home as a reason for not seeking repairs. Tenants who have been evicted or threatened with eviction are 1.8 times more likely to wait over three months for repairs, while tenants who have not are 1.8 times more likely to wait less than a week.
As the first community-based survey of its kind, the release of the “Kingston Tenant Experiences Survey Report” marks a significant milestone in Just Recovery Kingston’s ongoing advocacy efforts. Providing valuable data that hones in on concerns that Kingston tenants have raised will help policymakers make informed decisions in creating habitable homes and a just community.
