'I think we can stop them': Esquimalt renters vow to fight demoviction

Nelson and Sussex lodges in Esquimalt, B.C. are pictured.

Renters in Esquimalt, B.C., say they are being caught in a housing conundrum—between the need to build more units and saving aging apartments that remain affordable.

"We've lived here a long time, we don't want to move,” said Dan McDonald, a resident of Sussex Lodge in the municipality.

McDonald and his wife have found themselves living under a blanket of uncertainty after the owner of two apartment buildings off of Nelson Street—built in the 1970s with 62 units in total—has made it known plans are in the works for the land.

"They want to demovict or renovict and demolish the buildings so they can put a 23-storey building in its place,” said McDonald.

If approved at council next year, the new building will consist of 335 units. In the meantime, residents living in the two buildings have formed an association, hoping to have a common voice to fight the proposed plan.

"I think that the landlord is wrong in trying to knock down our buildings,” said McDonald. “I think that we can stop them; I think we can stop it at the municipal level."

"I think it should be put off because 35 per cent of all the buildings in Victoria are over 50 years old," said Sean Sullivan, a resident of Nelson Lodge.

Sullivan shares a two-bedroom unit with his roommate, paying $1,800 per month collectively. He knows if they have to move, the rent could double.

"Where is this extra money going to come from?” said Sullivan.

"It's happening a lot and specifically in Esquimalt,” said Doug King, executive director of the Together Against Poverty Society.

King says Esquimalt has a lot of aging housing stock and little-to-no bare land to develop. He isn’t surprised to hear of the predicament these tenants could be facing come next year.

"This is part of that process where low-income affordable housing gets replaced with market housing,” said King. However, many who call the two apartments home cannot afford market rates.

As for the formation of a collective voice through the association, King says it’s essential.

"What we've seen is that developers will come in, they'll offer cash, they'll offer incentives, something to try to pick people off one by one to get the units empty,” said King.

Intracorp Homes BC, the owner of the building, told CTV News in a statement:

"The Township of Esquimalt’s Tenant Assistance Policy ensures that existing tenants are provided with relocation assistance, financial compensation, and the first opportunity to return to the building at below-market rents."

When asked if the new building will come with below-market rental units, the company didn’t respond.