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Citizen Members of TCHC Board Resign
All seven so-called citizen members of the Toronto Community Housing Corporation board, including chair David Mitchell, have resigned their posts. These seven members are ones who are neither elected officials nor tenant representatives, and according to Mitchell they made this decision because they “cannot effectively work when the mayor is unreachable for constructive dialogue.” In his remarks Mitchell offered a strong defence of the value of public housing for the city, and rejected Ford’s calls for privatization. “Unfortunately, he said, “the present political reality has made it untenable to effectively govern. The mayor has threatened the…governance of the TCHC by announcing unilaterally through the media that he has lost confidence in us as a board and does not wish for us to proceed with due process.”
Announced today at an emergency meeting, this decision will make Mayor Rob Ford’s bid to have the members of the board removed by a city council vote unnecessary. TCHC CEO Keiko Nakamura has not resigned, and will for the moment at least continue on in her role.