A proposed community plan has triggered fears about the potential loss of existing affordable rental homes in East Vancouver.

On July 26, city council will consider a plan to deliver 7,150 new housing units in Grandview-Woodland during the next 30 years. According to a neighbourhood group, the plan may lead to demolitions and the displacement of renters.

The Grandview-Woodland Area Council (GWAC) claimed in a statement that city regulations on new market rentals allow for rents that are 50 percent to 100 percent higher than existing average rates.

The organization argued that this will not only price individuals out of particular buildings but will also lead to neigbourhoodwide rent increases.

“Further, those renting in houses that are knocked down have no protections whatsoever in terms of relocation plans and right of return,” GWAC noted.

Vancouver-Hastings MLA Shane Simpson has written Mayor Gregor Robertson about concerns regarding the plan.

“People, while very supportive of the commitment to dedicated rental accommodation, were uncertain about the potential impact of the plan on existing, older rental units, which could be demolished to make way for taller, more profitable rental buildings under the new zoning,” Simpson wrote in the letter.