Young woman says St. John's is evicting her from childhood home after mother's death
Mackenzie Stevenson, 21, has lived in a city-run public housing unit for almost her entire life
The only home 21-year-old Mackenzie Stevenson has ever known is part of the St. John's non-profit housing division in Cowan Heights.
But she told CBC News the city is kicking her out — because her mother died.
Stevenson's mother, Michelle, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in July, and died about four months later, on Nov. 12.
She said Michelle called the city last summer to ensure her daughter's name would be on the lease for the three-bedroom house, in case anything happened. She said her mother was under the impression everything was sorted out.
"One thing my mom wanted to make sure of was the fact that I still had a house to live in, as any mom would," Stevenson said in an interview this month.
She said no one with the city told her mother she needed to physically sign a form to change the lease. As a result, she was only considered an occupant, but Mackenzie said the employee on the line "made it sound like everything was OK."
Months later, everything was not OK.
No notice
Stevenson said her aunt called city hall shortly after Michelle's death to confirm that she could stay in her home. The response was an immediate "no," she said, and the person on the other end of the line said she had to be out by the end of November.
"The funeral was Friday and I was supposed to lose my house on Monday," said Stevenson.
To date, Stevenson says she has not received a verbal or written notice of eviction herself. All correspondence about the lease termination has been with members of her family.
The City of St. John's is refusing to answer CBC's questions about the matter, citing privacy concerns.
A communications manager for the city sent an email, stating "when a lease owner passes, the lease is terminated effective immediately. The housing division may offer an extension should the family members living in the unit need more time to find a place to live."
In a separate email, the city added that the unit would be put back on a waiting list for non-profit housing, and that the city "would work with next-of-kin or designate to determine an appropriate timeline on vacating the unit based on the circumstances."
Those circumstances include the fact that Stevenson would be living alone in a three-bedroom house.
The funeral was Friday and I was supposed to lose my house on Monday- Mackenzie Stevenson
Just before Christmas, the city extended Stevenson's stay in the residence until Jan. 31, after St. John's councillor Greg Noseworthy advocated for it.
Stevenson has contacted several councillors, MHAs and Mayor Danny Breen's office for help.
But beyond a two-month extension, that help never came.
"I was kind of just sitting around procrastinating moving out, hoping that somebody could do something," Stevenson said. "I was just kind of left in the dust."
Sherwin Flight runs the Facebook group Newfoundland Tenant & Landlord Support Group, and has years of experience dealing with issues related to the Residential Tenancies Act.
He told CBC News that even "implied relationships" between a landlord and a tenant — where someone pays rent to stay in a residence without signing an agreement — are valid.
Flight said written notices of lease termination are required in those cases, regardless of the reason.
"A phone call isn't good enough," he said.
In a typical month-to-month rental agreement — according to the Residential Tenancies Act — if a tenant is evicted, the landlord must give at least three months' notice before the end of a rental period.
When asked about the death of a tenant, Flight said that when a tenant dies, the landlord is still required to provide proper notice to remaining residents to end a tenancy.
According to the city, its housing division follows the act when it comes to evictions, but it has its own separate process when the lease agreement ends because of a death.
Alternative options
Stevenson is a full-time student at Memorial University, and works two retail jobs on the side. She's been paying rent to the St. John's housing division since November — and she said she will do anything she can to continue doing that.
She told CBC News she wants to use school as a distraction from the chaos in her life, but instead, she said, she has to risk falling behind to focus on finding another place to live.
"[Mom] thought that we would get through this, you know, she didn't think this would be the outcome," Stevenson said.
A staffer who answered emails sent to Mayor Danny Breen suggested the young woman move in with immediate family, to a MUN student residence, or Stella's Circle housing.
"I was flabbergasted that [they] would say that to me," she said, adding that she's exhausted every resource she can.
Fading memories
The Cowan Heights duplex is more than "just" a public housing unit, said Stevenson.
"My mom made this house into a home for me."
Flipping through a photo album, she pointed out the countless renovations the house underwent — all thanks to her mother, Michelle.
Fighting back tears, Stevenson reminisced about the good times.
"I moved in here when I was four. I can remember sitting at the kitchen table out there and blowing out my fifth birthday candles," she recalled.
"It hasn't even been three months since my mom passed away. So, I mean, I sit here some days and I wait for her to come down over the stairs … but instead I just sit there and eat my supper alone."
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