View Royal is set to implement protections for renters facing renovictions after council voted in favour of a motion by Mayor Sid Tobias.
The motion was first presented at a June 20 meeting, but a vote on whether to endorse the policy was delayed to the Tuesday (July 4) council meeting in order to allow staff the time to review the draft tenant assistance policy as presented by Tobias. The policy was then approved with some amendments recommended by staff this week, though the decision on when to implement the new policy was deferred to the next meeting.
“With this policy, View Royal council has made a clear commitment to protect some of its most vulnerable residents. This policy is aligned with Saanich and Victoria. It will guide council on providing consistent and fair treatment for those affected by rezoning and growth,” said Tobias in an email Thursday.
The new policy standardizes a development and rezoning application requirement for developers to provide certain supports to renters evicted from their homes as part of renovations or redevelopment. The policy applies to applications which would see a minimum of three rental units being permanently vacated due to substantial renovation or demolition.
READ MORE: View Royal explores how to protect renters from renovictions
Those supports include giving evicted residents the right of first refusal for a comparable unit to their original in the new or renovated building rented at a rate of 20 per cent below starting market rent levels for the unit, a reduction from the 25 per cent discount Tobias originally pitched.
Under the policy, a tenant assistance plan must be submitted to the town as part of the application process, a tenant relocation coordinator must be hired to help tenants throughout the renovation or redevelopment process – including finding alternate accommodation.
Tenants must also be provided moving assistance either through a flat rate payout or by hiring an insured moving company on the tenant’s behalf and rent compensation must be provided to displaced tenants ranging from three months rent to six months rent depending on how long they have lived in the unit.
The new policy is similar to policies in place or in development in Victoria, Saanich and Colwood.
READ MORE: Colwood exploring protections for tenants facing renovictions
