One in 10 British Columbians has been forced to move, research shows
Posted November 26, 2019 11:15 am.
Last Updated November 26, 2019 11:18 am.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – It’s the latest evidence of the tenuous situation renters and homeowners face in British Columbia – research shows the province leads the pack in forced moves.
Researchers, like Jens von Bergmann, have highlighted Statistics Canada data that shows 10 per cent of British Columbians who have moved in the last five years have been forced to do it.
That means about 80,000 people were forced to move because of renovictions, demovictions, or simply evictions, the data shows.
This unscientific poll of twitter followers shows significantly higher rates of mobility, with 65% moving in past 5 years, vs 40% in CHS. And 26% of tweeps that moved said their last move was forced, more than double of CHS’s 10%. Speaks to the housing insecurity of my followers. https://t.co/lSVgivY7IJ
— Jens von Bergmann (@vb_jens) November 26, 2019
Sara Sagaii with the Vancouver Tenants Union says that matches what she’s seeing on the ground, and something needs to be done.
“When you’re getting evicted from your building and you’re not allowed to come back because the new rent is too expensive, the message that that sends is that this neighbourhood is not for you, this building’s not for you, you don’t belong here because you’re poor,” she says.
“The most important question is who gets to live in a building or a house, and if we don’t allow renters to come back to the place they get evicted from at the same rent, then we’re just telling people they can’t live in that building.”
The tenants union has proposed laws requiring the right of first refusal for people who are evicted for renovations or new construction, specifically that they are allowed to return to a unit in the renovated building at the same rent they were paying before.
While she acknowledges it is a problem, B.C. Housing Minister Selina Robinson is blaming the previous government for the issue.
“We’ve made some significant changes, including a compliance and enforcement officer to make sure that people are following the rules properly,” she says. “We’ve made lots of changes addressing renters and their concerns.”
