Renters Advisory Committee

The mandate of the Renters Advisory Committee is to advise Council on strategic City priorities relating to renters, to monitor and respond to the impacts of provincial and federal legislation affecting tenants and to advise Council on enhancing access and inclusion for renters in developing City policy and civic life.

COVID-19 update: online meetings

We've transitioned to virtual advisory body meetings as an interim response to the health emergency. These meetings are convened by electronic means as authorized by Part 14 of the Procedure By-law, the City of Vancouver Electronic Meetings Regulation.

Virtual meetings use Cisco WebEx Events. No software download is required. Use the link below to view the meeting live through your web browser.

A link to join the live meeting broadcast is posted 24 hours in advance of the meeting.

Next meeting: Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Event password: RAC

Join the meeting

Join by phone (audio only)

1-604-646-8916
1-855-699-3239 (Canada - toll free)

Access code: 2488 647 8337

Consent - Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy

To view or participate in meetings virtually, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information outside Canada as described below. The City of Vancouver collects your personal information in accordance with section 26(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act for purposes of organizing and administering advisory body meetings. For virtual advisory body meetings, your contact information will be shared with the City’s web conferencing provider, Cisco WebEx. Information submitted to WebEx will be stored on servers in the United States and may be accessed in the United States or internationally for technical support purposes. If you have questions about the collection of this information, please contact the director of access to information and privacy by emailing privacy@vancouver.ca, phoning 3-1-1, or mailing a letter to 453 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Y 1V4.

Following the meeting, minutes will be posted online and can be found in the ‘Meetings’ tab below.

Terms of reference

Terms of reference approved by Council on February 27, 2019.

Policy advice

The committee:

Provides input to City Council and staff about issues of concern
Considers any matters which may be referred to the committee by Council or staff
May take positions on policy initiatives from other levels of government within the mandate of the committee

Collaboration

The committee:

Works co-operatively with other agencies whose activities affect constituent communities, including initiating and developing relevant projects
Acts as a resource for staff doing public involvement processes and civic events

Awareness and outreach

The committee:

Exchanges information with the constituent communities and the general public about relevant programs and issues of interest
Engages in outreach to disseminate information and encourage participation from constituent communities

Planning and reporting

The committee:

Produces an annual work plan with specific objectives by no later than April of each year, in consultation with Council and staff liaisons, for distribution to Council and civic departments for information
Presents accomplishments and progress to date at the annual Council of Councils event
Submits an annual report to Council describing its accomplishments for the year, including reference to each objective set out in the work plan and any arising issues to which the committee has responded

Meeting frequency

The committee holds regular meetings six times per year, in addition to working sessions throughout the year.

Time commitment

In addition to preparation time for regular meetings and working sessions, committee members typically spend time on research, correspondence, as well as attending events relevant to the committee.

Attendance requirement

Members may miss no more than two consecutive meetings without obtaining a leave of absence from the committee. Membership will be terminated following the second such absence.

Membership

Michael Biskar
Eva Ciesielska
Adam Huizinga
R. Paul Kerston
Steve Kim
Liam Menard
Robert Penkala
Mitchell Prost
Victor Rizov
Kit Sauder
Aidan Shirley
Jacint Simon
Oliver South
Jenny Tan
Tanya Webking

Terms end November 22, 2022.

Liaisons

Council Liaison: Councillor Pete Fry
Council Liaison: Councillor Jean Swanson
Park Board Liaison: Not assigned
School Board Liaison: Trustee Estrellita Gonzalez
Staff Liaison: Jennifer Hales

Terms and Membership Composition

Persons appointed to an advisory body shall meet the following essential criteria:

Not be employed by the City of Vancouver
Live or work in Vancouver, or have a significant body of experience with issues in Vancouver
Be able to demonstrate relevant experience or knowledge, abilities and skills related to the mandate of the advisory body

Composition:

15 members of the public (8 is quorum)
2 non-voting Council liaisons
1 non-voting Park Board Commissioner liaison
1 non-voting staff liaison
1 non-voting School Board Trustee liaison

Length of term:

Committee members are appointed until December 31, 2022.
No member of the public shall serve for more than four consecutive years on the same advisory body. A former member is eligible for reappointment after one year out of office.

All Regular Meetings are open to the public.

In addition to the regular meetings listed here, the committee also meets several times per year for informal working sessions. Please contact the Meeting Coordinator for more information.