Tenants cry foul over Olympic eviction

Last Updated: Monday, December 7, 2009 | 3:16 PM PT

CBC News

Some East Vancouver tenants say they are being evicted so their landlord can make more money during the 2010 Winter Games.

Tenants of this East Vancouver house say their landlord is evicting them to rent out to Olympic tourists. (sportseventsrentmyhouse.com)

Susan Brown is one of eight tenants at a Mount Pleasant house who received eviction notices two weeks ago. When she moved into the house in July, Brown said, she signed a lease that was to end Jan. 31, with the understanding it would be extended when it came due. Instead she got a notice saying she would have to be out by the end of January, just two weeks before the Vancouver Olympics begin on Feb. 12.

The notice also said the owner needed the house for immediate family.

But the tenants’ quick search of the web found the house listed as an Olympic rental, with the owner asking nearly $12,000 a week in rent. In comparison, the tenants have been paying about $500 a month each for rent.

Brown, who is studying for a master’s degree at Simon Fraser University, said the eviction has thrown her life into turmoil.

“What it means right now for me is I’m just in a really precarious position. … I’m having to put some of my research and plans on hold in order to find a good place to live,” she said.

Brown and the other tenants say they believe the eviction is illegal, because the owners appeared to have lied to them on the official eviction notice.

Laura Track, a lawyer with the Pivot Legal Society, said it is unclear if the eviction was illegal, but the tenants could fight it through the provincial Rental Tenancy Branch.

“What’s disturbing about this is the reason given for the eviction is so clearly dishonest,” Track said.

She said it is also likely the owners are violating the city’s own rules on Olympic rentals, because the home will be occupied in the month leading up to the Olympics.

The tenants said they need to get on with their lives and find places to live, and they don’t plan to fight the eviction.

“I’m just feeling really vulnerable, violated, lied to and really stressed out,” Brown said.

The situation shows why the B.C.’s residential tenancy legislation needs to be strengthened to protect renters from evictions in these situations, Track said.

“My sense is this is just the tip of the iceberg,” she said. “Here we are at the beginning of December, and this is when I imagine these situations will really start to ramp up.”

The homeowners did not return calls for an interview.

Tenants allege Olympic $34,000 eviction

Tenants allege Olympic eviction

By Wendy Stueck, The Globe and Mail Posted Monday, December 7, 2009 3:21 PM ET

VANCOUVER – Tenants of a home in East Vancouver claim they have been evicted so the owner of the home can rent it at lucrative rates during the Olympic games.

Speaking in front of the home, tenants Sam Campbell and Sue Brown said Monday they were given eviction notices at the end of November. The two-month notices said the tenants’ rental units were to be occupied by the landlord or family members.

The tenants then discovered an online advertisement offering the nine-bedroom house for accommodation during the Olympics for $11,900 a week or $34,000 if rented for all of February and March. The tenants had signed leases that ended January 31, 2010, but say they had been told by the home’s owner that their leases could be extended.

The tenants said they have notified the provincial Residential Tenancy Branch and the City of Vancouver, which has introduced a temporary by-law and licencing program for housing rentals during the games.

Right to the City: Nov 23 Forum on Housing and the 2010 Games

Back in August 2009, the Impact On Community Coalitions filed a human-rights complaint with the United Nations against the governments of Canada and B.C. and the Olympic organizing committee, VANOC, over broken housing promises.  Renters at Risk  supported the IOCC’s complaint,  providing documentation of recent evictions  and rent increase deals where long term tenants are asked to pay far  above 3.7% to retain their tenancy,  in some cases up to 80% more.

The Impact on Community Coalition say hundreds of renters will face the threat of eviction prior to the Olympics because of “loopholes” in tenancy legislation.

“People are being evicted for renovations, rents are skyrocketing and the Olympics is definitely an issue that is creating this environment,”  said Janine Fuller of Renters at Risk.    Full article here

Here is the 2010 Winter Games Inner-City Inclusive Commitment Statement on housing issues:

Housing
a) Protect rental housing stock
a) b) Provide as many alternative forms of temporary accommodation for Winter Games
visitors and workers
b) c) Ensure people are not made homeless as a result of the Winter Games
c) d) Ensure residents are not involuntarily displaced, evicted or face unreasonable increases
in rent due to the Winter Games
d) e) Provide an affordable housing legacy and start planning now

Local Groups Launch The West End Seniors Affordable Housing Initiative

In response to the alarming loss of affordable rental housing in the West End, a partnership of community groups is launching the West End Seniors Affordable Housing Initiative to help renters at risk of losing their homes.

Gordon Neighbourhood House is partnering with the West End Residents Aassociation (WERA), Women In Search of Housing Society (WISHS), The West End Seniors Network (WESN) and local rental advocate, Sharon Isaak from Renters At Risk.  The program aims to deliver much-needed rental housing assistance to older West End residents caught in the current affordable housing crisis.

Renovictions, rising market rents, above-guideline rent increases, and changes to the Residential Tenancy Act are all factors forcing many long-term renters out of the West End community. Seniors and older adults in the West End are particularly vulnerable to being displaced from their homes.

The West End Affordable Housing Initiative (WESAHI) recognizes that the ability to age in place is fundamentally important to a sustainable community, and aims to support West End seniors to stay in their rental homes.

This Initiative will deliver both practical education about tenancy laws and provide direct support by connecting seniors to programs and existing resources in the community in three ways.

1. Seniors Housing Outreach Coordinator

Sharon Isaak will be available at Gordon Neighbourhood house on Thursday mornings to assist West End residents with their local rental housing concerns.  Make an appointment by calling 604-683-2554 or email isaaksharon@gmail.com

2. FORUM 1: The Right to Rent: Aging in Place

Sunday Nov 22/2009 at 2 pm  At Gordon Neighbourhood House

Tenants Resource Advisory Centre (TRAC), the Seniors Services Society and the West End Seniors Network will provide information about current rental challenges facing the community and will introduce programs, services and resources available to seniors. There will be an interactive session with participants.

3. FORUM 2: Aging In Place: Ideas into Action:

Date TBA, Spring 2010

The second forum will build on the information and feedback from the first forum, and will explore alternative housing options and  solutions to concerns facing older adults and seniors in the West End.

The United Way ‘Solutions for Seniors’ Seed Grant provided this opportunity for community groups to generate locally-relevant solutions about key issues affecting seniors, such as affordable and supportive housing.

1215 Bidwell: New Affordable Rental Housing Coming to Maxine’s?

If  you are wondering what is  going on with the re-development project at 1215  Bidwell Street in the West End  (currently the historic  site of Maxine’s Restaurant and Lounge, formerly Balthazaar), you are not alone.   After several year of planning,  the good news for renters  is that the project now includes 49 new rental units.  (15 bedroom and 34 bachelor units ranging from 400-515 square feet,  a  400 square foot bachelor is estimated to rent for $980/month)

The city zoning currently allow developers to build a  low-rise  structure or a tall, thin condo tower up to 210 feet on that site with no street level stores or purpose built rental units.

A third option now before council is a combination of the two.  This tower would still be 210 ft, with added rental units and street level retail space.   The front façade of the heritage building would be kept intact.   This development proposal offers  much needed purpose built rental units,  higher density ratios,  and a LEEDS green building to the site.   However, there are remaining questions around  affordability and the overall impact to the community by the development.

This project’s  rezoning application was before Council on Oct 6,2009 and will be before city council for a public hearing on Dec 1st,2009.

Agenda and reports of the Council meeting

Staff are recommending to Council that rezoning should be presented for a public hearing. At a public hearing all citizens of Vancouver have the right to speak to the rezoning and tell Council what they think about the rezoning application.

http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/planning/rezoning/applications/1201-1215bidwell/index.htm

You can find more information about this  at the West End Residents Association Website ( www. wera.bc.ca)

On Saturday November 21st, the West End Residents Association is hosting a community forum at 1 pm at the Empire Landmark about current development rezoning applications in the West End community.