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BCGEU welcomes government's Rental Housing Task Force report and recommendations

Union says policy recommendations will improve life for B.C. tenants, but report does not move forward on other important issues.

Vancouver (18 Dec. 2018) — The B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU/NUPGE) has welcomed the provincial government's Rental Housing Task Force report and recommendations tabled on December 12.

23 recommendations will improve life for tenants

In July 2018, the BCGEU/NUPGE made a submission to the provincial government's Rental Housing Task Force. In it the union recommended measures to expand and better protect the supply of rental housing in the province. On December 12, the Task Force released its report, which included 23 policy recommendations that the union says will help to improve life for tenants in B.C.

The BCGEU/NUPGE submission focused on 3 main areas:

  • resourcing and reforming the Residential Tenancy Branch,
  • reforming residential tenancy law and regulations, and
  • increasing the supply of affordable rental housing.

The BCGEU/NUPGE is pleased to see a recommendation in the December 12 report to empower the Residential Tenancy Branch to be more responsive, accessible and proactive in meeting the needs of renters, as well as recommendations to stop renovictions, and speed up the return of damage deposits.

But some disappointment on other issues

However, the BCGEU/NUPGE is disappointed the report does not move forward on important issues like vacancy control, which applies existing rent control policies to new tenants as well as to existing ones, or on adequately addressing rental supply, or implementing a land value capture tax across the province.

Further analysis is coming

In the coming days, the BCGEU/NUPGE will conduct an in-depth analysis of the report, particularly to examine recommendations relative to the union's report Building an Affordable B.C., co-authored by CUPE 1767 President Jared Melvin and Vice-President Harpinder Sandhu.

For more information:

View the BCGEU's submission to the Rental Housing Task Force https://www.affordablebc.ca/rental_housing_task_force_submission

View the report Building an Affordable B.C. https://www.affordablebc.ca/our-plan