Adam Green, Resident at Regal Park

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Adam is a 30 year old drummer who currently plays with a metal-core band called Gristle. He has been playing live shows in Toronto since he was 16, but doesn't make much money from it. To help pay his bills, his most recent job is waiting tables at a small bar. However, years of live music have impaired his hearing, making his work with customers challenging.

Adam comes from a lower income Canadian family. He is 5' 7'', thin, with blonde cropped hair. Last year he decided to move out of his parents' small rented house, and saved up enough money to afford first months rent and a deposit. He found a small one bed room apartment in Regal Park, a lower income building in the east end of Toronto.

The apartment Adam moved into was not the 'show unit'. He quickly discovered a number of problems with his new place, including mold and a problem with mice. At first he thought he thought he could solve both problems with better housekeeping habits, but after talking to his neighbors, he found out that the problem was with the building. Any attempts to approach the landlord with the problem were met with a tepid response. Despite the problems with the apartment, he doesn't want to move back in with his parents. The problem is, he can't currently afford the costs of a move and the deposit on a new apartment. Further, he isn't sure if he can find a better place with the money he currently makes.

Adam recently met an ACORN volunteer, who handed him a flyer with suggestions on how to deal with the problems he has and instructions on how to register a complaint with ACORN. As Adam doesn't have regular access to an Internet connection, he was happy to learn that he can easily text message his complaint with his no-frills phone. He wants to make sure other people don't end up in the same situation he did, and to pressure the landlord to deal with the problem. This is also his only immediate avenue to deal with his frustration.