Victoria eyes aid for displaced renters

Renters displaced through redevelopment may need bridge funding to help them return to new replacement units, says Coun. Chris Coleman.

Coleman has won council support for a proposal to have staff investigate the introduction of rental supports for tenants still facing rent increases of more than $200 a month as the result of a building being redeveloped through a rezoning.

Coleman notes that under the city’s new property maintenance bylaw, landlords looking to renew buildings and needing a rezoning to do so will have to offer tenants assistance in finding new accommodation as well as giving displaced tenants first right of refusal of a renewed suite at 10 per cent below market rate.

The problem, Coleman says, is 10 per cent may not cover the difference between the rent they had been paying and the rent in the renewed suite.

For example, he said, someone might be paying a rent of $850 a month when they are forced to move due to renovations. They would be offered first right of refusal at 10 per cent below market rent for their former unit once renovated, but the new rent could well be $1,250 to $1,400 a month — for a net new rent still significantly higher than the $850 they had been paying.

“Ten per cent below that [new rent] is a significant hit to somebody who can’t afford it,” he said.

He’s suggesting the city consider introducing a monthly rent supplement for up to three years for people caught in the bind.

“What I don’t want us to do is hold out false hope to people,” Coleman said. “I don’t know that it would work. It may be an administrative nightmare,” he said.

He also is well aware that the change would affect a very small pool of people.

“I tried to keep it a small bridging opportunity for a select group of people in very specific applications. So it’s not a general impact,” he said.

Victoria council is moving forward on three initiatives aimed at protecting Victoria's existing rental stock and providing support for renters including: • A new rental property standards of maintenance bylaw to establish a basic standard of repair for residential rental properties. • A new tenant assistance policy to provide guidelines for the kind of support to be offered by developers and property owners to renters when rental properties are renovated or rezoned for redevelopment. • A rental energy and seismic upgrade incentive program hoped to improve energy performance and seismic upgrades to the city’s aging rental apartments while retaining tenants.