Little Mountain tenants win a small victory
From David Chudnovsky
The last remaining residents of Little Mountain Social Housing, threatened with eviction at the end of the month, have won a small victory in the appeal of their eviction at the Residential Tenancy Board. They have been granted an “in person” hearing. The RTB scheduled a conference-call hearing, but the tenants argued that a more fair and less confusing process was to conduct the process face-to-face.
The tenants asked their landlord, BC Housing, to agree to have the dispute adjudicated ‘in person’, but BC Housing refused to even respond to the request. Today they opposed a face-to-face hearing, but the RTB adjudicator ruled in favour of the tenants.
The tenants’ advocate, former MLA David Chudnovsky commented, “This is just a small procedural decision, but it means a lot to the tenants. They want their ‘day in court’ – a chance to make their case in the presence of their landlord and the adjudicator.”
The tenants argue that since the proposed redevelopment is on a huge piece of property, since it will be done in phases, and since the city says the first phase will include the replacement social housing, there is no reason the tenants need to leave their homes before their new units are built.
The city planner who has worked on the proposed project says that the redevelopment, “Could have shovels in the ground by mid-2014.” This reinforces the tenants’ view there is no reason for them to be evicted.
The new hearing will be scheduled in the coming days.
For more information contact
David Chudnovsky at (604) 874-1089 or (604) 329-1734