March 2022

Image above: The City’s Renter Services Grants have been a part of Watari Counselling and Support Services Society’s multi-year strategic plan. In 2022, our funding will continue to support their Youth Excelling and Attaining Housing (YEAH!) Parenting Program.

This month, Vancouver City Council unanimously approved the disbursement of $575,000 in 2022 Renter Services Grants to Vancouver non-profit organizations to assist them with their ongoing valuable contributions in support of renters.

With direct services including education and advice on renter rights and responsibilities, legal advocacy to help renters pursue their rights, and supports to assist renters to retain their housing, 13 organizations will be receiving funding to deliver and enhance their work to a wide community of individuals.

Those who will be assisted by our grants include some of our city’s most equity-denied populations: renters experiencing gender-based violence, renters who identify as Indigenous, renters with low incomes, youth transitioning from government care, seniors, newcomers and 2SLGBTQIA+ refugees.

We thank every non-profit who applied for a grant this year, and look forward to learning about the impact of the funded organizations.

For more information, please visit vancouver.ca/renterservicesgrants. 
 

 

The City is inviting renter-serving organizations to a virtual workshop that will provide a forum for feedback on the Vancouver Plan, and the Broadway Plan on Wednesday, April 6 from 10 am to 12 pm. These two major ongoing City projects are proposing policies and land-use changes that will impact renters in Vancouver. The workshop will provide an overview of both projects, with a focus on the key policy directions and land use plans as they relate to housing.

A proposed Vancouver Plan will be going for City Council’s consideration in mid-2022. The Broadway Plan will be going for City Council’s consideration in May 2022.

To register: If you are a non-profit organization who supports renters in Vancouver and would like to attend or have questions, please email Allison Lasocha at allison.lasocha@vancouver.ca with your name and organization.
 

 

Curious about all the rights and responsibilities of renters?
Need a few pointers on how to submit a strong housing application?
Unsure about the types of terms that should be included in a tenancy agreement?

Developed by the Tenant Resource & Advisory Centre (TRAC) and the Justice Education Society (JES), Renting It Right in British Columbia is a free video-based and self-paced online course that gives tenants practical and legal information on how to find rental housing, maintain a stable tenancy, and resolve disputes with their landlord.

Renting It Right is delivered in two parts:

• Part 1 - Finding a home
• Part 2 - Rights & responsibilities

​For more, please visit rentingitright.ca. 

 

 

The Renter Office’s Renter Enquiry Line (email and phone) connects Vancouver renters to appropriate City departments for information on questions related to the City’s policies or programs, such as assisting renters in looking up City permits for specific buildings. The REL also refers renters to non-profit community resources for tenancy issues covered by the Residential Tenancy Act.

We will do our best to get back to you within five business days.

We offer phone services in English, Mandarin and Cantonese and hope to offer additional languages in the future. If you would like assistance in your chosen language, phone 3-1-1 for assistance and they will direct you to the appropriate staff for language support.