Group seeks to ban adults-only buildings
There’s a major fight brewing on the issue of adults-only buildings.
Pushed by the courts, Alberta has agreed to review its human rights legislation to prevent age discrimination in housing before next January.
A group of downtown parents wants that to include children, making any building for people aged 18 and older illegal.
They ’re launching a public campaign Saturday, hoping to use a crowdsourced map to illustrate the extent of the problem. But condo owners are also mobilizing. Many with adults-only restrictions don’t want those lifted. They see this as a threat even to buildings restricted to those 55 and older.
“They want a more peaceful lifestyle. A lot of these are retirees,” said Anand Sharma, president of the Canadian Condominium Institute Northern Alberta chapter. The chapters has been asking members to write their MLAs and Service Alberta, which will make recommendations to Alberta Justice.
“It’s going to be a battle,” said Sharma. “I don’t think it’s right or fair to change the rules on them.”
The court case had nothing to do with children. In March 2016, Ruth Maria Adria challenged Alberta’s Human Rights Act, saying it lets people discriminate against seniors when renting or selling, which is unconstitutional.
Court of Queen’s Bench Justice R.P. Belzil agreed and gave Alberta one year to rewrite the act to prevent discrimination based on age. Alberta Justice chose not to fight the ruling.
All that’s left for Alberta Justice to decide is whether it should include exemptions.
Jodie McKague, outreach coordinator with the new ChildFriendly Housing Coalition of Alberta, estimates she called 20 places before finding a centrally located condo to rent that would accept her nine-year-old daughter. It was six years ago, during a divorce, when she saw the opportunity to live downtown as a way to simplify her life.
“I had no idea it would be so difficult,” she said, pointing out that, especially around Grandin School, most buildings are adults-only. She finally found a place in Hillside Estates, a condo building near 99 Avenue and 104 Street, where many private units are rented to families. They share babysitting, organize playgroups and host board-game evenings with the community league.
Her team of volunteers is collecting other stories. Some young adults have been evicted or forced to sell when the condo board realizes there’s a baby on the way. Others feel harassed for having a child, give up and move out of downtown. Many are shocked how long it takes to find something.
The coalition is happy to allow buildings for people 55 and older to exist, but want children allowed elsewhere.
“Lots of kids, they don’t have places to live downtown and downtown is a really good place
for kids to live,” said McKague’s nine-year-old daughter, Franka McKague-Larson.
David Shepherd, NDP MLA for Edmonton-Centre, said all other Canadian jurisdictions at least prevent age discrimination in rental properties. Most allow exemptions for buildings geared to seniors. “My personal view is I’d like to see as much opportunity as possible for families to live in the downtown core.”