Kitchener launches survey as it seeks help people facing eviction

The City of Kitchener is hoping a new tool will help them better understand the scope of evictions across the city.

The city has launched a survey and they’re asking people who are being evicted to fill it out.

“Some of the things it helps us do it collect data so we can make data-informed decisions,” said Coun. Stephanie Stretch.

Along with allowing city staff to track evictions that happen without proper notice, the survey can also connect people with resources to help fight their eviction or find support if they’re forced to move out.

“It's really scary if you get an eviction notice often. And so you tend to catastrophize and go to the worst place possible. And I think there are some supports in place and there are people who have done this before. So if this is happening to you, you're not alone. There are some resources out there that I know in the city,” said Stretch.

The city already collects some data on evictions but said there is a blind spot when it comes to informal evictions that are given without notice and can be illegal.

“Sometimes evictions don't happen in a proper official way and understanding how often are the context under which that is happening is also important,” said Natalie Gloss with the City of Kitchener.

From the the information gathered from the survey, the city hopes to formulate better policies to protect people living close to the edge.

Each of the 20 questions on the survey have a prefer not to answer option. So people can leave as much or as little information as they're comfortable with.

The city all the information is confidential and will only be used to help with planning and decision making.