Coalition of Progressive Electors mayoral candidate promises to ban renovictions

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      COPE mayoral candidate Meena Wong has detailed the party’s pledge to ban renovictions.

      Wong said today (October 20) that the Coalition of Progressive Electors would put a condition on renovation permits to “guarantee that tenants can move back at the same rent they were paying before”.

      The party would also require landlords to provide proof that renovations are necessary, that units need to be vacant in order for the renovations to take place, and to agree to give the current tenant the right of first refusal to the unit once work is completed.

      “It’s an inconvenience for tenants,” Wong told the Straight by phone.

      “It’s extra cost to the tenants to move. I don’t think tenants should be burdened with the renovations, which would increase the value for the landlord.”

      Under their proposal, COPE would also require landlords to cover moving costs for the current tenant and temporary accommodation expenses while renovations take place.

      Wong noted that guidelines for renovation permits are under the city's authority.

      Vision Vancouver councillor Geoff Meggs said the city is already taking steps against renovictions.

      “Where we really want to emphasize our work is to make sure we deliver that 1,000 units of rental housing every year for the next four years, which will contribute significantly to the expansion of the rental stock,” he said in a phone interview.

      According to Metro Vancouver statistics cited by COPE, average rents in Vancouver increased by 15 percent between 2008 and 2012.

      Comments

      14 Comments

      Dan

      Oct 20, 2014 at 5:14pm

      It's nice to finally hear a candidate with fresh ideas. The NPA and Vision seem to be the same party. They certainly won't do anything to help the average resident unless they're a property speculator.

      Gail Harmer

      Oct 20, 2014 at 7:40pm

      Altho' Vancouverites laugh at Meggs' references to 'affordable' housing, do they realize that he knows they (the voters) actually buy in to the sorry theory that market forces are inevitable in the area of housing! The only opposition expressed in this campaign to that tired theory is that proposed by Meena Wong and her candidates in COPE.
      Has the time come when Vancouverites are about to make VISION history? Meggs may be sensing the signs. He was part of a group that staged Vancouver's last COPE coup! Interesting times in Vancouver politics.

      Can't COPE

      Oct 21, 2014 at 1:23am

      Ridiculous. No Landlord is going to cover the cost of moving a tenant, paying to put them up somewhere else then renovate and have the tenant move back in at the exact same rent. Nor should they. All this will do is perpetuate the deterioration of conditions across a spectrum of rental units. Another BS COPE proposal.

      me112233

      Oct 21, 2014 at 4:22am

      And I thought we had liberals down here in the states . . . .

      Fresh ideas- need to be based on achievable objectives!!

      Oct 21, 2014 at 6:24am

      <b>Dan wrote:<i>"It's nice to finally hear a candidate with fresh ideas..."</i>

      Now if only these darn newspaper reporters had this ability too...

      PART 1:

      November 16th 2014- next 4-years:

      1) Property taxes- raised, lowered, status quo??

      2) Business taxes- raised, lowered, status quo??

      3) City budget- bigger, smaller, status quo??

      4) City debt- will go down? If yes, what is schedule for city to become debt free??

      5) City debt- will go up?? If yes, by how much/how much is maximum allowable/sustainable city debt?

      6) City debt- for what purposes is increasing city's debt allowable??

      7) Attracting business investment to city from big corporations/multinational companies, entrepreneurs and research firms- how, at what cost and how would province and feds be involved?

      8) Community centres' prices for individuals to participate in programs- higher, lower, status quo, subsidies made available to low income persons??

      9) Community centres' hours/days- same, expanded, reduced?

      10) Community centres' accessibility- One card program continued or scrapped??

      11) Libraries- increased hours/days, deceased hours/days, status quo hours/days?

      12) Programs for youth after school and on weekends- more, less, status quo?

      13) Programs for youth after school and on weekends- funded entirely by city, funded by city + province, funded by city + feds, funded by city + province + feds?

      14) Programs for youth after school and on weekends- philanthropists contributions sought? If yes, how?

      15) Subsidies to low income families/parents for enrolling children in organized sports/community centre programs (and paying for equipment/uniforms)?? If yes, where would money for this come from- city's budget/ contributions from philanthropists/province/feds?

      16) Transgender washroom initiative- continued, improved, scrapped?

      17) Recycling- what strategies will be used to reduce waste produced by residents, property owners and businesses? Province/feds will be involved??

      18) Recycling- what strategies will be used to increase recycling of waste products by residents, property owners and businesses? Province/feds will be involved??

      OMG

      Oct 21, 2014 at 7:20am

      A noble cause, but there doesn't seem to be anything in it for landlords. Unless the city wants to start buying up apartments and becoming the landlord themselves (which rarely works), then I see no reason why a landlord would do anything to improve their suites, short of spot repairs. People buy buildings and rent them out to provide a secure income, not to make renters happy. They are a revenue source. If the city could give them a nice fat tax break I'm sure they'd get way more interest in this and the one thing landlords like are good, long-term tenants. Nobody wins with a revolving door so with incentives some stability can be provided.

      buddhabitch

      Oct 21, 2014 at 9:54am

      wow, Meena Wong is shaping up to be quite a strong contender!

      juddc

      Oct 21, 2014 at 10:06am

      Considering a vast majority of suites in the city aren't A) reno'd with permits of any kind and B) illegal - not that anyone cares, mind you - I fail to see how this would be enforced - especially with young students, low income types who are probably not dealing with the most honest landlords in the first place.

      Fresh ideas- need to be based on achievable objectives!!

      Oct 21, 2014 at 11:14am

      <b>PART 2:

      November 16th 2014- next 4-years:

      19) Where would new bike lanes be constructed or established? When?

      20) Is there is a need to increase passenger-carrying capacity of public transit on city's roads and thoroughfares??

      21) If yes to #20 above- how would city govt increase passenger-carrying capacity of public transit on city's roads and thoroughfares?? where would money come from- city budget/taxes on residents/businesses/Translink's budget/metro Vancouver's budget/province/feds??

      22) Costs for public transit monthly bus passes- are current levels acceptable??

      23) Costs for public transit monthly bus passes- if current levels are not acceptable, should rates rise or be lowered by how much??

      24) Costs for public transit monthly bus passes- subsidies for low income persons/minimum wage workers?? If yes, how much of a subsidy, IE: 50%, 80%, 100%??

      25) If yes to #24 above,

      - subsidies for monthly bus passes funded entirely by city budget??

      - subsidies for monthly bus passes funded by Translink's budget??

      - subsidies for monthly bus passes funded by metro Vancouver's budget??

      - subsidies for monthly bus passes funded by city budget + province??

      - subsidies for monthly bus passes funded by city + feds??

      - subsidies for monthly bus passes funded by city + province + feds?

      26) When Vancouver's city govt is considering making significant changes to a neighborhood/community- such as by incorporating high-rise buildings- under what circumstances/conditions would it be acceptable for the city's govt to make decisions that are opposed by the affected neighborhood's/community's residents/business owners??... </b>

      Beatriz Osorio

      Oct 21, 2014 at 2:07pm

      I understand The Residential Tenancy Act is a provincial law.
      So I'm intrigue to know what will be the legal mechanism Ms Wong will apply to overrule a higher level of government that has JURIDICCION over this issue.
      As it stands under the provincial law of British Columbia evictions to renovate are legal .

      RESIDENTIAL TENANCY ACT
      [.....]
      Landlord's notice: landlord's use of property
      [...]
      49 (1)

      (6) A landlord may end a tenancy in respect of a rental unit if the landlord has all the necessary permits and approvals required by law, and intends in good faith, to do any of the following:
      (a) demolish the rental unit;
      (b) renovate or repair the rental unit in a manner that requires the rental unit to be vacant;
      (c) convert the residential property to strata lots under the Strata Property Act;
      (d) convert the residential property into a not for profit housing cooperative under the Cooperative Association Act;
      (e) convert the rental unit for use by a caretaker, manager or superintendent of the residential property;
      (f) convert the rental unit to a non-residential use.
      (7) A notice under this section must comply with section 52 [form and content of notice to end tenancy.
      [...]