Vision Vancouver vowing to protect rental properties and tenants
Posted November 8, 2014 5:52 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – If you rent in the city, Vision Vancouver is promising to protect you.
Mayor Gregor Robertson says his record in office proves this and is calling out the NPA for a lack of action on the issue.
He says the NPA voted against the Rent Bank, which has helped hundreds of tenants avoid becoming homeless, during the last election. “We’ve seen enormous success with it, protecting people in their homes when they have an unexpected expense or crisis in their lives.”
Robertson points to a situation in 2012 when a landlord tried to illegally evict people living in a building on Pendrell Street and turn it into an Airbnb rental, before the city stepped in.
“When the rules are skewed, it’s important that the city, our elected representatives and citizens are able to rally and make sure we do everything we can to keep renters in their homes.”
Robertson says the NPA is also vowing to eliminate the Rental 100 Program that helps to build new housing.
NDP MLA for Vancouver-West End Spencer Chandra-Herbert says under Robertson’s leadership, the city has made big gains in protecting renters. “It was a small idea to get the Rent Bank going to help prevent homelessness. There was a small group of people who had seen the results of homelessness and wanted to make sure we didn’t see more people ending up on the street.”
“I know with Gregor’s leadership, he’ll do as much as he can at the city level to keep people in their homes, to defend affordable housing and to make a real difference. We can’t afford to lose that leadership at city hall,” adds Chandra-Herbert.
