Vancouver mayor’s rental protections promises not enough, advocate says
Posted July 7, 2022 7:22 am.
Last Updated July 7, 2022 8:06 am.
Not everyone is convinced a new plan from Vancouver’s mayor to protect renters will work if it’s approved.
On Wednesday, Kennedy Stewart proposed to amend the Vancouver 2050 plan to extend the rights promised to Broadway Corridor renters to the entire city.
Stewart says that would mean no renters will see their rents increase if their building is developed.
Robert Patterson, a lawyer with the Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre, a non-profit renters advocacy organization, agrees that the city needs more protections, but without consistent monitoring, the policies may be ignored.
“In terms of whether it will work, that will depend on number one, of course, how the rules are drafted. So there will have to be careful attention to make sure there aren’t any loopholes. The second piece of that too will be sufficient monitoring and enforcement from the city to make sure there’s compliance of those rules from property developers,” Patterson said.
Related Articles:
-
Vancouver 2050 plan before council, critic slams housing promises
-
Vancouver City Council approves Broadway Plan
-
Vancouver mayoral candidate wants decision for Broadway Plan to come after civic election
He says the proposed protections by the mayor aren’t radical and could go further to ensuring longtime renters, especially those on a fixed income, can remain in the neighbourhoods they’ve called home for decades.
Currently, Vancouver renters who have been affected by redevelopment have the right of first refusal to return to the new or renovated building at 20 per cent below market rents.
Stewart is proposing that be changed to the same or lower rent.
Patterson applauds that move, but suggests that without enforcement it won’t be effective. Plus, while the mayor is claiming these protections would be the strongest in the country, Patterson says that isn’t really something to brag about.
Related Video:
“In North America, in Canada specifically, I think we are behind many other parts of the world when it comes to how we manage and regulate rental housing,” Patterson argued.
Patterson also suggests that Burnaby and New Westminster already have similar protections in place, and have been in effect for years.
While some have expressed concern that the Broadway corridor policies will only be a turn off for developers and landlords over the possible economic impacts, Patterson says he doesn’t believe that will be the case in Vancouver.
“From what we’ve seen in Burnaby and New Westminster, when they brought in these stronger protections that are like the kind of protections Kennedy Stewart is talking about I don’t think we’ve seen a particularly large drop off in development in those communities. Take the SkyTrain through Burnaby and see the all cranes that are still going like crazy building tower after tower,” he said.
He says New Westminster, for example, does have policies in place that tackle any developer rulebreakers, something he urges Vancouver to replicate.
With files from John Ackermann
