性视界传媒 city council gave third-reading approval without debate on a two-tower residential project within the city centre on Monday, July 8, following a public hearing during which eight speakers told the politicians this project will render their families homeless.
Currently Elizabeth Manor 鈥� a 57-unit three-storey, wood-frame rental apartment building 鈥� is there with 40 units tenanted.
The owner, listed as Accorde Wcpg Lots 12 (B) Ltd., aims to develop two high-rise residential towers 鈥� 25 and 35 storeys 鈥� with six-storey podiums, to contain 561 dwellings, 57 of them "affordable" rental units, at 13265-104 Ave.
The new dwelling units are expected to be ready for occupancy by Fall 2028.
A tenant of a neighbouring apartment building predicts hers will suffer the same fate. "People are being evicted because they don't understand their rights and it is truly unfair," said T. Alexander, a single mom. "The City of 性视界传媒 needs to stop catering to development companies and be more proactive about creating low-income housing."
"This isn't a one-off issue, it's happening everywhere."
She and other speakers called on council to adopt an anti-demoviction bylaw similar to Burnaby's and Toronto's, "to protect the residents of 性视界传媒." Kayla Watson also spoke against the project. "We already have a housing and homelessness crisis and as public officials you do have the responsibility to take action on that," she told council.
The next speaker said his family will have no place to go. "I'm not left with anything," he said, "so my request is to stop this demoviction and think about the people that are on fixed incomes that are retired. These people cannot afford the new rents in the market."
Tabitha Smith said one would think the City would want to protect "what little affordable housing we still have."
"There's nowhere for these families to go," she said, adding there are 14,000 people on the BC Housing wait list. One single mother said she gave birth two weeks ago and if council approves this project "it will put me and my baby on the street."
Renters advocacy group ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) rallied to "stop the planned demoviction of the affordable apartment building and to implement anti-displacement tenant protections to protect all 性视界传媒 renters from demoviction."
According to a city planning report, the applicant has provided a tenant assistance and relocation program "as required" under City of 性视界传媒 policy "outlining the relocation strategy for the existing rental tenants on the subject site." It is allocating 57 below-market units "with a right of first refusal to residents of the existing apartment building.
"The applicant proposes to enter into a Housing Agreement to allocate the t7 dwelling units as below market rental for a period of 60 years," the report states.
A report from West Fraser Holdings Ltd. states the development will require the relocation of Elizabeth Manor's tenants.
"West Fraser is aware that this application, if approved, would cause inconvenience on the existing residents," it reads. "Our goal is to provide support to the current tenants throughout this process. All tenants residing in Elizabeth Manor apartments at the time of the development permit are eligible for relocation assistance under the Tenant Assistance Program."
One Elizabeth Manor tenant named Carlos told council "that by approving this development project you are practically condemning many families to homelessness," he said. "Instead of provoking homelessness I believe that your job should be to protect us, to make our lives easier, not more difficult than they are already."
Another tenant named Mohammed also said "we are facing homelessness." He's been on BC Housing's wait list for three years, he said.
ACORN tenant leader Arun Mulalka has rented a two-bedroom apartment at Elizabeth Manor for five years, paying $935 monthly.
"If I got evicted my rent would almost triple, who can afford that with expenses skyrocketing right now?" he said. "I have a five-year-old daughter who is starting school in September, my whole life is here in this neighbourhood. If my family loses our home, where are we supposed to go?"
According to ACORN, demovictions of affordable apartment buildings to make way for luxury condos are becoming "a widespread scourge across North 性视界传媒" and development applications are pending for six other apartment buildings within a block of Elizabeth Manor. "We can't have this neighbourhood becoming the next Metrotown," Mulalka said, "but without action from City Hall that's the only outcome here."
"If we get kicked out there is nowhere left to go," he said. "If we keep letting developers push working people out of our homes, if we keep throwing tenants under the bus, who shall be left to be part of the city's future?"
One speaker supported the project. Fleetwood resident K. Sahota said he and his family are looking to get into the condo market in the city centre. "It's really going to help young families like myself and others that are out there that are also looking to get into the condo market."
