Still fighting eviction, 2 Hamilton tenants feel unsafe after recent break-ins [Video]

A late-night rock through the window, an unknown person pounding on the door and someone ransacking an apartment are a few of the problems two Hamilton tenants say they are dealing with. And that’s just this month.

Jennifer McGrath and Rick MacMillan are the last two renters in an otherwise gutted low-rise building in the city’s Durand neighbourhood.

As CBC Hamilton reported in December, their landlord wants them out, but they’ve been fighting to stay amid maintenance issues including leaks, broken windows and a long-term lack of heat. Both say they have lived in the building for about 25 years. 

At the Duke Street apartments, windows are boarded up. Canada Post stopped delivering mail in August, and the foyer is filled with graffiti, including the phrase: “Don’t rent here.”

Workers gutted all the other units, removing doors, drywall and flooring. The building’s dank halls and entrance way are dirty, and the mailboxes appear broken. 

The …