TRAC Tenant Resource & Advisory Centre

Honourable Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. Honourable Selina Robinson, Minister of Housing Spencer Chandra Herbert, Chair of the Rental Housing Task Force The V...ancouver Tenants Union is deeply concerned with the results of a recent survey we made. A significant amount of tenants in this city are currently experiencing increasing mental health issues (high anxiety, insomnia, depression, etc) related specifically to some recent government decisions on lifting the ban on evictions, ending economic supports during the pandemic, and facilitating non-payment evictions process for landlords. You need to address immediately this potential health/housing crisis because the prospects of being evicted, accumulate rent debt or personal debt (by using family savings or credit cards), and face potential homelessness, could impact severely the mental and physical health of thousands of tenants and their families in this province. We are not even mentioning at this point potential COVID-19 exposure. Studies show a clear relation with evictions and consequences on health: Families who are involuntarily displaced often relocate to neighborhoods with even higher levels of poverty and crime. Severely distressed neighborhoods can negatively influence adults’ and children’s wellbeing. What is more, evicted families desperate to secure housing often accept substandard living conditions, which in turn can bring about significant health problems. https://scholar.harvard.edu//desmondkimbro.evictions.fallo MINISTERS, ACT NOW Ban on eviction should stay until pandemic is over and the economy fully recovered Cancel Rent Debt Adress the physical and mental wellbeing of thousands of tenants immediately with a well-conducted follow-up. We welcome your personal experiences in the comments section. https://bc.ctvnews.ca/tenants-union-warns-of-eviction-crisi

TRAC is looking for tenants who are concerned about losing their homes once non-payment evictions are permitted again on September 1st and are willing to speak with the media about their stories. We have heard from many media outlets and broadcasters who are very interested in addressing the rent arrears crisis, but need a tenant who can ground the stories they want to run. We know many tenants are very concerned about losing their homes under the government's insufficient "...repayment plan" approach, but also understand that many tenants will not be comfortable sharing their stories. If you would feel comfortable sharing your story with media, please contact us through Facebook or through our Tenant Infoline.

JOB POSTING - TRAC is looking to hire a Legal Advocate on a full-time basis (35 hours per week) for a one-year term. The Legal Advocate will offer direct advocacy services, including full representation at Residential Tenancy Branch dispute resolution hearings, to low-income Vancouver tenants living in non-profit and supportive housing. tenants.bc.ca/about/job-opportunities

TRAC has redeveloped its website (www.tenants.bc.ca)! If you rent your home, make sure to bookmark our site as your online guide to better understanding tenant-landlord law in British Columbia.

This decision is utterly baffling to me, said Stephanie Smith, president of the BCGEU. COVID-19 has caused a public health crisis and an economic crisis and we are nowhere near the end of either. Renters are facing the same uncertain future they were when the ban was put in placethis is not the time for government to be leaving renters vulnerable to eviction.

The BC Government has announced that the ban on non-payment evictions will end on September 1st, with an accompanying plan to give tenants more time to repay outstanding rent arrears. This approach is very concerning. The government has boasted that the Province has regained 40% of the jobs lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, but tenants who remain unemployed or underemployed will face the loss of their homes. Tenants, in a time of economic crisis, will still bear the full bur...den of making their landlords whole. If there is a "second wave" of COVID-19 cases in the Autumn, then these tenants will not be able to effectively self-isolate if they lose their homes. In TRAC's view, lifting the eviction ban without any relief for tenants is both premature and inequitable. We are concerned that many tenants will not be able to pay their rent on September 1st, and that more will be unable to pay increased rent on October 1st. TRAC continues to stand with the Community Legal Assistance Society and community groups like the Vancouver Tenants Union in calling on the government to properly address the rent arrears crisis in a way that keeps the promise John Horgan and Selina Robinson made to British Columbians that no one would lose their home due to COVID-19.

TENANT POWER IN ACTION We are truly concerned with a potential decision being made by our provincial government this week regarding lifting the ban on evictions... for non-payment of rent. If this information is correct, the ban might be officially lifted for people who collected rent debt before or during the pandemic. You can do something as a tenant or an advocate. Call the office of the Minister of Housing Selina Robinson. Phone: (250) 387-2283 or Phone: (604) 933-2001. It will take less than a minute. Leave a message clearly stating that you support rent debt cancellation and extending the moratorium on evictions until pandemic is over and our economy is fully recovered". You can also send her a letter using our website at www.NoRentDebt.ca. We are certain that the landlord lobby has been politically pushing our government to end most of the renter's protections that became effective in April, and which are giving us some peace of mind during this pandemic and economic recession. It is important that as tenants, we demand two things: the cancellation of any pending rent debt and the extension of the moratorium on evictions until this pandemic is over and our economy is fully recovered. This is not the time to push families out to the streets. This is not the time for tenants to find new homes and save money for deposits and expensive new rents. This is the time to support our people who are still unemployed or transitioning to part-time hours in their former jobs. This pandemic is partially under control, but we should fully expect a second wave to hit our province later in the year. This is not the time to play with the safety of tenants. Period. See more

TRAC is looking for tenants who: - live in the Lower Mainland - have concerns about their landlord entering their unit with notice while COVID-19 remains a health emergency - are willing to speak to media about their experience... If you are such a tenant, please contact us via Facebook Messenger or on our Tenant Infoline at 1-800-665-1185

Are you a tenant worried about being able to pay back your rent arrears? Are you concerned about being evicted during the COVID-19 health crisis? TRAC is looking to connect tenants whose health, finances, and/or tenancies have been impacted by COVID-19 with media to help them share their stories. If you are interested in sharing your story, please message us on Facebook with a description of your situation and your phone number.... We continue to support and advocate for all tenants in these difficult times.

The Province has begun to lift the tenancy law changes in effect for COVID-19. We encourage tenants to read the following statement from Housing Minister Selina Robinson. Tenants should remember that *non-payment evictions are still prohibited*. We understand that repeated late rent payment evictions for late/missed payments during the COVID-19 state of emergency are also banned. If you receive a Notice to End Tenancy and are unsure of your legal rights, please reach out to T...RAC through our Tenant Infoline at 1-800-665-1185 or by messaging us here on Facebook. https://bit.ly/3fDj9mD

TRAC stands with the Vancouver Tenants Union and other community groups in calling for the current eviction ban to be maintained throughout the state of emergency, and in calling for the government to take bold action to protect renters by forgiving rent debt and arrears that have built up for tenants during the COVID 19 crisis. Landlord groups are pushing government to let evictions proceed again, which would unfairly put thousands of renters at risk of losing their homes an...d being displaced from their communities and support networks. Government must address the rent arrears crisis before it becomes an eviction crisis. We encourage British Columbians who rent their homes, or have friends or family who rent, to sign the VTU's petition linked below. it calls on the Province to protect renters from losing their homes by extending the eviction moratorium to the end of the emergency period, and by forgiving rent debt and arrears to prevent tenants from losing their homes in the future. No tenant deserves to lose their home because of COVID 19's impact on their income. We also encourage tenants to write to the Ministry of Housing to share their experiences during these difficult times, particularly about how the COVID 19 pandemic has impacted your tenancies, how the government's response so far has affected you, and what further steps you would like to see the government take. Emails can be sent to: [email protected] Letters can be addressed to: The Honourable Selina Robinson Minister of Municipal Affairs & Housing PO Box 9056 Stn Prov Govt Victoria, BC V8W 9E2 Together, we can make sure that tenants' voices are heard!

TRAC's Tenant Infoline will be unavailable all day today. If you have a question about your tenancy, please check our website (tenants.bc.ca) or call our Infoline (604-255-0546 or 1-800-665-1185) tomorrow between 1-5pm. Thank you.

https://globalnews.ca/n/7041678/landlord-renters-eviction/ As the BC Temporary Rental Supplement Program draws to a close, landlords are calling for the Province to lift the emergency evictions moratorium. TRAC believes the moratorium must remain in place in order to prevent BC tenants from losing their homes due to COVID-19, and that rent arrears accumulated during this time must be forgiven.