On December 7th, 2022 recently re-elected OneCity councillor Christine Boyle celebrated the unanimous passage of her motion “Reducing Barriers and Deepening Affordability for Non-Profit, Co-op and Social Housing in Every Neighbourhood”. It was her second time bringing the motion to council, this time with lively support from non-profit housing developers, the Vancouver & District Labour Council and Women Transforming Cities.

They say you can’t fight city hall - but in the wake of the 2018 municipal elections, our newly formed tenants union took an aggressive tack to do just that - to bring tenant voices and tenant-centred policies into Vancouver’s city hall and to test a new politically fractured council.

July 21, 2022

VANCOUVER, UNCEDED COAST SALISH TERRITORIES

Over 70 tenants are facing demoviction on 906-982 W 18th Ave and 907-969 W 19th Ave (Balfour Block) have organized and submitted a collective letter to the City of Vancouver in order to give them a fighting chance to stay in their neighborhood. The Balfour Tenants Collective’s demands include:

We beat the developer and put a fighting spirit back into the Union

Eight demovicted tenants at 326 Nanaimo St. fought to get the relocation they were promised by the City of Vancouver, with the organizing help of VTU, and support of the broader community. 

A Perspective from a Renovicted Tenant Who Qualifies for TRPP

Read the original article by VTU member Lisa Descary on Springmag.ca

Tenants at 326 Nanaimo are facing demoviction and have joined VTU hoping to secure the rights and compensation afforded them by the Tenant Relocation and Protection Policy (TRPP). All tenants are vulnerable, low income, and have been paying significantly lower than CMHC average rent for the area.

Following Cllr Jean Swanson’s motion to protect tenants from renovictions and aggressive buyouts - which VTU members rallied council to pass last December - city staff completed their final report back and recommendations...