Mayor's promise to Vancouver renters slammed as unrealistic, opportunistic
Critics of Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart's proposal to usher in what he calls the “strongest renter protections in Canada” are slamming the move, questioning both the plan itself and the motivation for bringing it forward now.
On Tuesday, Stewart announced he wants to include renter protections in the Vancouver Plan, the same as those that were built into the Broadway Plan.
Stewart’s plan would focus on renters displaced by redevelopment. Tenants would have the first right of refusal to return to the newly developed property at the same, or lower, rent and builders would also front relocation costs.
Coun. Lisa Dominato, who is running for re-election with the newly formed ABC Vancouver party, said she didn’t see the mayor’s announcement of the proposal until the last minute.
“It caught us all by surprise," she said. "I actually don’t know how realistic that is, to be making that kind of policy application city-wide for all rental developments.”
Stewart did admit that his proposal made some builders nervous and could end up leading to developers needing more density in order to recover building costs. Something Dominato said she had also discussed.
“I’ve heard similar concerns from the building community. While we’re talking about wanting to make the city more affordable, we want to make housing more affordable -- this might layer on more costs and make it less affordable,” she said.
NPA mayoral candidate John Coupar also questioned if the idea would have the desired outcome, or make things worse.
“Usually when there’s rent controls it tends to constrict supply, rather than help supply,” he said, adding that he believed Stewart was making a last ditch effort to win votes ahead of the fall.
“I think it’s funny, he seems to have come alive a few months before the election,” Coupar added.
The Vancouver Plan has been in the works since 2018, when Kennedy Stewart was first elected. Wednesday was the first session where council heard directly from members of the public about the proposal and more than 80 people signed up to speak.
Many speakers in the early session were against the plan - one person calling it a “D-minus at best.” Another told council it was “the shameful, rotten cherry on top of the decisions of late.”
The CEO of Landlord BC also criticized the plan, calling it a “solution searching for a problem.”
“Nobody was asking for it except anti-development neighbourhood groups and certain members of council because they saw the process as a perfect tool to be used to halt efforts to denssingle-familymily neighbourhoods, which since 2019 is exactly what it did,” David Hutniak told CTV News in an email. “So mission accomplished for those folks at the expense of the community, the economy, and renters in particular.”
The Vancouver Plan will be back before council on July 22 which will be the last opportunity for it to be passed before the summer break.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.