A B.C. Supreme Court decision has ruled in favour of those living in social housing, saying they deserve the same tenant rights as anyone else.
Residents at 844 Johnson St., a property managed by non-profit housing provider Portland Hotel Society (PHS), will no longer be subject to blanket restrictions after a judge found them to be illegal.
B次元官网网址淧eople who move into social housing should not have to leave their rights at the door,B次元官网网址� said Doug King, a lawyer and executive director of Together Against Poverty (TAPS), at a press conference Wednesday.
In June 2016, the province announced it had purchased the building to provide 140 units of supportive housing for people who had been living at two encampments, one at Reeson Park and the other on the lawn behind the Victoria courthouse.
King said promises were made to the tenants including that it would be permanent housing, that they would be given all the rights and privileges of other tenants under the Residential Tenancy Act, and that they would have input on the decision making of the management of the building.
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Doug Swait, a resident of 844 Johnson St. and one of the lead plaintiffs in the case, said the decision recognizes the tenants as a part of the neighbourhood.
B次元官网网址淭his is a really good win for us,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been a constant battle since moving in there.B次元官网网址�
Guests were routinely blocked from visiting residents, Swait said, including children visiting family members on holidays, as well as overnight guests.
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In one case, a resident was unable to access medication being delivered by a friend who did not have proper identification. The building has not been affixed with a buzzer system like most market rentals, and many residents do not have cell phones, Swait said.
B次元官网网址淎ny restriction on guest privileges must be reasonable,B次元官网网址� King said. B次元官网网址淩easonable means it has to be specific to a person.B次元官网网址�
Multiple tenants filed a complaint with the residential tenancy board, but King said Portland Hotel Society chose not to listen, taking no action, leading to the case landing in court.
B次元官网网址淚f PHS is not getting enough resources from the government to do an adequate job of running buildings like this and protecting tenantsB次元官网网址� rights, they need to be vocal about that,B次元官网网址� he said.
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The precedent setting decision, handed down May 18, lifts the longstanding blanket restrictions for tenants and dismisses an appeal brought by PHS.
In her ruling, Justice Sharma wrote B次元官网网址淏次元官网网址� the petitioner has not provided any justification of why tenants who are being given a social benefit of below market housing, in an effort to try and stabilize their living situation, ought to be given less legal rights than tenants paying market rates B次元官网网址次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 good for everybody else around to see that these things can be done,B次元官网网址� Swait said. B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檝e got to stand up and fight for your rights.B次元官网网址�
King called the decision B次元官网网址渧indication,B次元官网网址� adding the ruling is important for residents in Victoria, but across the province as well.
B次元官网网址淭his decision sets new ground rules in social housing,B次元官网网址� he said.
Portland Hotel Society denied a request for comment for this story.
