Tag Archives: Residential Tenancy Act

Housing, Poverty

Tenants from Village on the Green rally for more housing security

Editor’s Note: When asked what caused their most recent housing loss, the #1 answer in all 20 Point-in-Time Counts taken in BC last year was ‘not enough income.’ In Campbell River a quarter of the respondents had been homeless for less than 6 months and 65% had been Campbell River residents for five years or more. When the 2021 Census was taken, 12,835 Campbell River residents, 200 households in Area C and 70 households on Cortes Island were spending more than 30% of their income on housing. They are considered to be ‘at risk’ of becoming homeless. 

In the following story, the residents of a 38 unit subsidized housing complex in Victoria are about to be turned out to make way for a new housing development. They have been promised first right of refusal in the new development’s subsidized units, once it is built. Meanwhile, as they do not possess sufficient income to pay market rental rates, many will most likely be living in the streets.

By Sidney Coles, Capital Daily, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Tenants of a community of subsidized housing units near Cook and Johnson destined for demolition are worried that once their home is gone, they won’t be able to afford another. 

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Housing, Politics

Area C Opts-in; New Details About The Short Term Rental Accommodation Act

Area C ‘opted-in’ to the Short Term Rental Accommodation Act at the SRD Board meeting yesterday. There was a spirited discussion in which the Director from Area D and two of his Campbell River colleagues discussed their reservations. Regional Director Mark Vonesch showed everyone an exception that would allow some absentee landlords to continue operating their short term rentals. When the final vote was taken, Area C’s motion to opt-in was approved with only two dissenting Directors. 

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Housing

Quadra Island considering opting-in to Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act 

Cortes Island is not the only rural area dealing with the provincial government’s Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act. Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney wants to know if Quadra Island would like to opt-in. She is conducting an online poll, which you can access by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page. Mawhinney is  also holding  an in-person meeting in the Quadra Community Centre at 6:30 PM on Wednesday, March 20th. 

“Opting in is certainly on the table right now. You’ve probably seen that there’s a survey out, live right now at srd.ca, which is asking islanders to identify the benefits of short term rentals, their potential concerns with them, and where they should be permitted. I think the survey, as well as providing a window into how islanders want to coexist with short term rentals, will help inform potential zoning by law changes,” she explained.

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