Fix Vancouver’s Renter Protections
We consider it an urgent necessity to stem the tide of working people forced to move from the city due to unaffordable housing costs through the construction of new affordable units and the protection of existing ones.
The affordability crisis is multi-faceted. We are calling for an array of actions to help tackle it, including the implementation of the AffordableBC plan, and the construction of non-market affordable housing units.
At our February 18, 2020, regular meeting we also adopted a recommendation calling for improvements to the City of Vancouver’s renter protections. The recommendation is as follows:
Subject: Fix Vancouver’s Renter Protections
BECAUSE the City of Burnaby has recently adopted renter protections which have been hailed as the strongest in the region, and possibly in the country; and
BECAUSE the City of Vancouver is the epicenter of the current housing affordability crisis, and thousands of Vancouver renters face renoviction or demoviction as the city continues to rapidly densify,
THE VANCOUVER AND DISTRICT LABOUR COUNCIL WILL call upon the City of Vancouver to implement stronger renter protections in line with those adopted by the City of Burnaby, which include:
- Improved right of first refusal wherein tenants would be given first right of refusal to new or renovated suites at the same rent, as opposed to at 20% of market rent as is presently in place; and
- Improved tenant compensation wherein tenants are provided a rent “top up” until a new unit is created in the same neighbourhood, as opposed to a one-time pay out based upon tenure (between 4-24 months rent).
THE VANCOUVER AND DISTRICT LABOUR COUNCIL WILL FURTHER support the campaign of the Vancouver Tenants Union on this issue.
You can help! Click HERE to find more and sign the Vancouver Tenants Union petition.
