Former tenants say they were pushed out of Furby block by landlord accused of illegal College Avenue evictions

People living in a 26-unit apartment block on Winnipeg's Furby Street — managed by a landlord who is accused of illegally evicting tenants at a different building — were told in August they had to move out, after a spokesperson says the landlord had concerns about the condition of the complex.

But one couple who lived at 583 Furby St. allege they were offered money to leave and pushed out along with nearly everyone else at the property — despite having leases and without having anywhere safe to go, they said.

The Furby block is managed by landlord Kelly Vasas, who the province alleges illegally evicted tenants from his 285 College Ave. building in July. He now faces $9,000 in fines for those evictions — penalties his lawyer Garry Sinnock says Vasas has appealed.

Less than a month after the July evictions, the Furby apartment complex — which the outreach organization St. Boniface Street Links says was filled with vulnerable people — was transferred to a company directed by Vasas, according to provincial companies and land title documents.

Alysha Wallen and Jason Podolaniuk, clients of Street Links, say they were among those who were told to leave in August.

"Couple days before the end of the month, the [new] owner said, 'I'll give you $1,000 if you move,'" said Podolaniuk, 46.

Several people living at the landlord's College property during the evictions in July previously told CBC that Vasas offered them money to leave.

The couple had moved into the Furby building in 2022 with help from Street Links. They'd previously spent years living in homeless encampments.

The two were living in separate apartments when they were told to leave. Podolaniuk says he took the payout, but Wallen says she didn't.

She alleges she was pushed out anyway, with an understanding the landlord had found her another place to stay in a nearby rooming house.

Provincial company and land title documents show the 26-unit Furby Street block was transferred to a company directed by Vasas on Aug. 6, although the previous landlord told CBC the company took possession in early July.

Marc Eger, a spokesperson for Vasas, says the landlord had to quickly address the overcrowded, unhealthy and unsafe conditions after taking possession of the building, which Eger described as being long-neglected and in a "state of destruction."

Vasas had to deal with everything from fire hazards to a lack of electricity and water in the suites, Eger, the managing director of Talon Risk Mitigation and Investigative Services, told CBC in an emailed statement.

The statement did not address the allegation tenants were offered money to move out.