About the High Park Tenants’ Association
The High Park Tenants’ Association (HPTA) began in the 1980s as a local tenant advocacy group focused on rent-related concerns. Over time, it has grown into a long-standing, volunteer-run tenants’ association serving renters in the High Park area of Toronto.
The HPTA has a strong history of challenging Above Guideline Rent Increases (AGIs). Since 2008, this work has helped tenants avoid nearly $11 million in unjustified rent increases. While this advocacy remains a core part of our work, the association has evolved into a broader community-building organization dedicated to strengthening connection, belonging, and quality of life in the High Park neighbourhood.
Today, the HPTA is focused on empowering tenants to bring their own ideas, programs, and initiatives to life — from building-level organizing to neighbourhood-wide activities. We work to ensure renters are recognized as an essential and active part of the wider High Park community.
Our doors remain open to tenants and community members seeking support, including those who live beyond the high-rise buildings we formally represent.
Strategic Plan 2025-2027
As part of the HPTA’s ongoing efforts to strengthen community building and engagement, the association has, for the first time, prepared a Strategic Plan for 2025–2027. The plan articulates clear priorities, measurable goals, and actionable initiatives designed to deepen tenant participation, expand outreach, and improve supports across High Park.
If you have an idea, program, or project, and you want to bring it to life in the community, the HPTA would be thrilled to collaborate. Please reach out directly to Hello@hpta.ca with your ideas and lets connect to see how we can help you make it come to life!
Meet the Team
The HPTA is led by a volunteer Board of Directors made up of tenants from the High Park community. We are neighbours who volunteer our time to support renters, strengthen community connections, and help turn local ideas into action.
Alex Venuto -
President
Alex moved to the High Park community in 2016 and became active with the High Park Tenants’ Association (HPTA) in 2019. Since then, he has been a leading advocate for tenants’ rights, with a particular focus on challenging Above Guideline Increases (AGIs) to prevent unreasonable costs from being passed on to renters. Recognizing that many renter issues require provincial action, Alex works closely with tenant associations across Ontario and engages directly with local MPPs to push for stronger protections. His commitment to housing justice led him to run in the 2025 provincial election in Mississauga–East Cooksville. He continues to support tenants in High Park and beyond.
Paco Alvarez -
Secretary
Paco has been serving on the board for several years now as Secretary. As a long time resident of Toronto, he has witnessed the city’s exponential growth and watched it morph into a cosmopolitan city that is still catching up to house all its residents. As such, it is a pleasure and honour to serve and be part of a vibrant and active team that supports tenant’s rights.
Jane Finch
-
Director
Jane serves on the Board of Directors for the High Park Tenants Association (HPTA), where I focus on tenant advocacy, community collaboration, and resident support. I bring experience navigating complex systems, addressing tenant concerns, and promoting tangible, solutions-focused actions to help improve daily life for residents.
Janet Haddock -
Director
Rody Luft -
Director
Raquel Richards -
Communications & Social Media Manager
Raquel is a Social Media Manager and AI Consultant. She served as a Prompt Writer & Prompt Engineer for Meta through TEKsystems, where she trained 28-character AI agents for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Aside from her day job in education, she is a freelance social media manager in industries such as health & wellness, florals, Canadian music industry and talent, and alcohol. Her specialty is building brands on social networks from the ground up.
Raquel’s education includes a BA in Marketing from the University of Toronto (U of T) and a diploma in Creative Advertising – Copywriting from Centennial College. She holds specialized certificates in Content Marketing from U of T, Prompt Engineering from Vanderbilt University, and Generative AI from Google Cloud. She has shared her expertise as a guest lecturer for an AI and Content Creation series at the University of Toronto, York University, and Humber College.
Diana Jardine -
Vice President
Diana is a longtime resident of 35 High Park Avenue, with roots in the neighbourhood dating back to 1975. Former Senior Director and Community Planner with the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, bringing over 35 years of public service experience. She served as an advisor to the High Park Community Alliance on development matters (2019–2021) and volunteered with the Distress Centre of Greater Toronto (2016–2022). Diana is the Development Committee Lead and the Seniors Groups (NORC) co-lead, a proud mother and grandmother.
Nishant Sureka -
Treasurer
Nishant serves as the Treasurer and Director of the High Park Tenants’ Association, where he oversees financial management and plays a key role in advocacy efforts for tenant rights. With a background in Auditing, Project Management & Governance, and Risk Management, he brings strategic oversight to the association’s financial operations. Nishant is committed to fostering an informed and empowered tenant community, ensuring financial transparency, and strengthening the association’s initiatives to serve its members better.
Nishant also sits on the Federation of South Toronto Residents’ Association’s Board as Treasurer
Leesa McLellan -
Director
Leesa has lived in her unit since 1994 and have a long-standing appreciation for this neighbourhood, the grounds, and the building itself. Becoming involved with the High Park Tenants Association deepened my understanding of tenants’ rights and issues such as AGIs. Through our local Facebook group for the three Minto-managed buildings, I enjoy engaging with fellow tenants on maintenance, building concerns, and the wider community.
I chose to volunteer as my building representative to engage directly with Property Management through the HPTA. This role has given me insight into both tenant and management perspectives, and it has strengthened my commitment to finding practical, balanced solutions that work for everyone.
Jessica Galbraith -
Director
As a longtime Toronto resident, Jessica Galbraith moved to High Park just a few years ago and now can't imagine living anywhere else. Jessica's professional background is in non-profit management and operations, supporting people facing homelessness and gender-based violence. She hopes to bring this advocacy mindset to protecting the rights of the tenants who make High Park Village such a vibrant community to live in.
Wendy Roskies -
Director
Jocelyn Reyes Midghall
- Past President
With years of combined experience in governance, operations, and leadership, Jocelyn brings a solutions-focused approach to tenant advocacy and community building. She began volunteering with HPTA in 2021 as Communications Committee Lead and later took on the role of Building Relations Committee Lead. Her professional background includes senior roles in corporate governance, nonprofit leadership, and business operations. Jocelyn engages with various sectors, advocating for policy changes to address the systemic issue of affordable housing, amplify tenant voices, and strengthen community impact. She has served in leadership roles with the International Association of Administrative Professionals and the Philippine Canadian Chamber of Commerce, and continues to support grassroots initiatives across Toronto.
HPTA IS A MEMBER OF THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS:
