Province says no to renter protections during Games

Posted By: Jackie Wong
07/02/2009 12:00 AM
Westender.com

The City of Vancouver’s requests to increase legislative protection for tenants of rental apartments during the 2010 Winter Olympics have been denied. In a June 10 letter to Mayor Gregor Robertson, BC Housing Minister Rich Coleman wrote that he deemed it unnecessary to amend the Residential Tenancy Act during the Games. Coleman also wrote that expanding Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) services in Vancouver during Games time would be unnecessary, despite the City’s requests that came before council in an April 9 motion.

Mayor Robertson sent a letter on behalf of council to Minister Coleman on April 28, which outlined the City’s requests that the Province temporarily amend Residential Tenancy legislation and increase tenant outreach service, in the interest of protecting renters and preventing evictions during the months leading up to and following the Games.

“Affecting the rights of property owners in the manner suggested may also be seen as unfair to those property owners,” Minister Coleman wrote in the letter justifying his refusal to amend the Residential Tenancy Act to prohibit Olympic evictions, as per council’s suggestion. “In a time where housing is scarce and private landlords are providing a valuable housing alternative, it is important to encourage them rather than to discourage them.”

Whether “housing alternative” is an accurate choice of words is a moot point, however, given that, according to 2001 Statistics Canada census data, more than half of households in central areas of Vancouver are rentals. (Minister Coleman did not return WE’s phone calls by press time.)

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