A new report by B.C. Human Rights Commissioner Kasari Govender found housing to be the most pressing humanitarian issue in the province. Yet, the B.C. government has shortened the notice period for properties being sold.
Yasmine Modaresi (she/her) // Crew Writer
Lauren Howard (she/her) // Illustrator
British Columbia is waist-deep in a housing crisis. Its magnitude has grown so great over the past few years that, in August, a human rights report found unaffordable housing to be the most significant humanitarian concern in B.C. Yet, the government has not made substantial efforts to curb it.
The very idea of housing has become an extremely charged topic for many British Columbians in the past few years. For over a decade, the repercussions of BC’s lack of infrastructure have become increasingly prominent, with housing insecurity and the looming fear of survival becoming commonplace. In tandem with this rising fear, governments around the globe have begun to recognize that thrusting the responsibility of survival upon their citizens is not sustainable. Around the globe, the hyper-individualistic outlook on shelter has died, and legislation after legislation has listed housing as a fundamental human right… including Canada.
In 2019, Canada followed in the footsteps of other nations like Portugal, France, Finland, Scotland, and South Africa, by implementing the “National Housing Strategy Act.” This bill states that housing is a fundamental human right. Yet, in the past few years, British Columbia has witnessed skyrocketing levels of homelessness. The province now holds the title of the most unhoused province in Canada.
This August (2024), the B.C. Human Rights Commissioner Kasari Govender met with activists, academics and human rights experts to discuss human rights concerns across B.C and found housing to be the most pressing humanitarian issue in the province. The scarcity of affordable homes is a chasm in B.C. welfare that swallows people already at risk. Women and minors in abusive households find themselves with no alternatives or social support. The B.C. housing crisis deepens gendered and racial inequities intrinsic to the operation of local policies.
While acknowledging the severity of the housing crisis is important, it is no substitute for tangible government efforts, which have been conspicuously absent. Housing costs have increased since the 1980s because of domestic demands, unregulated foreign investment, limitations in land available in desirable locations and a lack of investment in infrastructure in the most expensive regions. A simple solution to such issues is the implementation of rent ceilings, which would limit how much and how frequently rents can be increased. This could involve capping rent increases not just on a percentage basis, but also in absolute terms, preventing landlords from raising rents to market rates after a tenant leaves.
Landlords have significant legal advantages over their tenants, such as the ability to evict tenants on short notice to increase their revenue and increase rent indefinitely. While B.C.’s current laws can be seen as liberal to business rights, others may see such a lack of regulations as neglecting to recognize renters rights. Enhancing tenant protections to prevent “renovictions” (i.e. evicting tenants for the purpose of renovating a building, then increasing rent for new tenants) and strengthening the notice requirements for both rent increases and eviction would help combat housing insecurity. The B.C. government instead shortened the notice period for properties being sold. Since the government implemented this change in late August, tenant vulnerability has become a concern. The decision to decrease the eviction notice period is another move that fails to consider British Columbians who are not property owners. Amid a nationwide housing crisis, eviction notice periods were decreased in an effort to streamline property transactions and align them with mortgage timelines, despite the possibility that such evictions will force renters into homelessness.
While public figures on all positions of the political spectrum frequently propose complex solutions for the housing insecurity, many of the first steps are achievable. For example, a provincial allocation of taxes into affordable housing options and social support is a viable option for diminishing the housing crisis. The aid of tax funds and legislation changes, and dedicating a portion of all new buildings to affordable housing through inclusionary zoning policies would significantly mitigate housing insecurity. Expanding social and affordable housing would include creating more units and ensuring that such units are accessible to those with the lowest incomes.
Until (or if) BC’s methods of addressing housing insecurity are changed to meet the humanitarian demands, learn more about your housing rights through the following organizations:
- The Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre (TRAC), which provides legal education and assistance to B.C. tenants.
- Pivot Legal Society, which offers legal advocacy for marginalized communities, with a focus on housing rights and homelessness prevention.
- Vancouver Tenants Union (VTU): a grassroots organizations fighting for tenant rights, rent control, and protections against evictions.
Voting in the coming election is also a fundamental venue to express one’s opinion. The major parties running are British Columbia New Democratic Party (NDP), and the British Columbia Conservatives. All Canadian citizens that will have turned 18 before October 19, 2024 and have been residents of British Columbia since April 18, 2024, are eligible to vote. That represents a considerable part of Capilano University’s student population, and Capilano Courier will follow the election closely. Campaign news will be reported daily on our website, and we’re moderating the all-candidates forum for the North Vancouver–Seymour provincial election candidates hosted by the CSU. The event will be on October 9th from 5:30-7:30pm. The Capilano Students Union has also organized to provide students a convenient place to cast their ballot. The election booth will be in the Birch Building Upper Food Court #2, on October 15th between 10:30 am and 3:30 pm.