Burnaby council floats huge reforms to rental housing policy

The City ofBurnabymay soon have a brand newrental policy that hasnocomparison in Metro Vancouver.

Councilagreedunanimously tohave staff create a number of amendments tothe city's zoning bylawwhich will be presented at a public hearing before a final vote.

Among theproposed changes arerequirements that all new mixed-used developmentshave at least 20 per cent rental units, ensuring renters evicted from demolished apartments are given the opportunity to return to the new building at the same rental rates.It would alsorezone all existing purpose-built rental developments in the city as rental-only zoning.

Coun.Pietro Calendino, who introduced the motion, said Burnaby was the first jurisdiction in Metro Vancouver"to embark on this ambitious housing policy."

"This is a very bold step in addressing the rental housingcrisis," he said.

"I think it will definitely have a positive impact on the supply of rental housing of all types in the years to come. And it will also bring fairness, security and affordability for renters."

• The report can be read here.

"It's all been very positive in our community,"said Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley, who won election last October on a campaign centred around stopping the demolition of older rental apartments in the city's centre to make way forcondos.

"Our development community has a bit of concerns with it, but we believe we've struck the right balance with it."

Landlord advocacy group critical

However, an advocacy groups for landlords in the province believes a balance hasn't been struck.

"It's encouraging that city is trying to alleviate the situation thatexists there, and needless to say what happened under the previous regime ... was not a particularly good outcome," said David Hutniak,CEO of the non-profit advocacy groupLandlord B.C.

"[But] they really need to take a harder look at the economics and the numbers, and what they're proposing here."

Hutniaksaid forcing all new buildings to have rental unitsand allresidents 'demovicted' from old apartments to be offered homes in new developments at the same rate they previous paid wouldput a freeze on new projects.

"Everyone is is rightfully concerned about the aging rental stock and displacement of renters ... but the fallout from this has been basically a reaction on only one side of the equation here," he said.

"The bottom line is that we have persistently low vacancy rates. And if we don't build more supply we are going to continue to have persistently low vacancy rates."

Tenant advocacy group supportive

In a statement, one of the organizations most critical of the city's previous housing strategysaid the new policy was "a good start."

"This is light years away from the destruction and displacement mindset that was happening under [former mayor Derek] Corrigan," saidBurnaby ACORN spokesperson Murray Martin.

"While we are thankful for that, the legacy ...is going to be very difficult to fix."

The city will also continue its separate mayoraltask forcewhich provided an interim report earlier this month with additional recommendations for changes to Burnaby's housing policy expected this summer.

"Initially when we started this [process], people said 'when you're first, it's going to fail,'" said Coun.Colleen Jordan.

"But Ithink our staff and council have accepted the challenge, and I think we have something that won't fail, and will serve us well into the future."

With files from Andrea Ross