On Saturday, June 23, 2018, approximately 45 members at the VTU General Meeting voted unanimously for the union to join ACORN BC's call for a moratorium on demovictions in Burnaby

June 24, 2018

Vancouver Tenants Union supports call for a moratorium on demovictions in Burnaby

The decision was made at a general membership meeting after ACORN BC called on the VTU for support

UNCEDED COAST SALISH TERRITORIES (Vancouver) -- On Saturday, June 23rd at a general membership meeting, members of the Vancouver Tenants Union voted unanimously to support ACORN BC's call for a moratorium on demovictions in Burnaby.

"Burnaby has had a 600% increase in demovictions," reads a statement on ACORN BC's website "Tenants are being displaced from low-end market housing into a rental market with a vacancy rate of almost 0% and rents that cost half their income."

The City of Burnaby has authorized the demolition of over 700 affordable housing units in the Metrotown area since 2011 in order to build high-rise condo towers in the place of low-rise apartments. VTU members voted to support of the moratorium with the understanding that mass-displacement on such a scale contributes significantly to the housing crisis across the whole region.

Several local labour unions have pledged their support to the campaign as well, including the BC Government & Service Employees Union (BCGEU), the Simon Fraser University Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) & the Burnaby Civic Employees Union (CUPE Local 23).

The Vancouver Tenants Union, founded in 2017, is made up of over 1000 general members, tenant organizers, and building representatives. ACORN BC's petition calling for a demovictions moratorium can be found HERE.

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