Navigating B.C.’s complicated housing crisis

When it was announced on March 18, 2020 that renters in B.C. could not be evicted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was a small respite for those suddenly struggling to keep a roof over their heads.

At the same time, the provincial government introduced the rent increase freeze—now extended until July 2021—ensuring that landlords could not raise the annual rent on their tenants.

Those accessing subsidized housing, however, are still seeing changes in their rental rates during the pandemic. 

According to BC Housing—a government-run organization that deals with low-income rentals and subsidized housing units—all market rentals managed by them or their housing partners are subject to the rent freeze. 

The subsidized housing units, meanwhile, are not. 

“Tenants in subsidized units do not pay market rent. Instead, they pay a contribution toward the cost of their rental unit. The amount they pay is calculated based on household composition and income and is called a Tenant Rent Contribution (TRC). Therefore, the provincial rent freeze does not apply to these units,” says Laura Mathews, Manager, Media Relations & Issues Management for BC Housing.

While these systems are put in place to support vulnerable populations, the people accessing them can often find it to be complicated, high-barrier and difficult to navigate.

That has been the case for one Kelowna woman, who has asked to remain anonymous.

“It’s extremely difficult. There are very long wait lists and plenty of hoops to jump through,” she tells Loose Lips.

The woman, who is a single mother, recently had her rent increased as a result of having an additional person in her household—a newborn baby.

The organization through which she accesses subsidized housing—and has for the past five years—is the Society of Hope Housing Society, one of the largest non-profit housing providers in the Central Okanagan region.

Luke Stack, the co-founder of Society of Hope and a Kelowna City Councillor, shares that the society has agreed to comply with the provincial orders to freeze rent increases until July 2021. 

However, adjustments to the cost of rent can still be made. 

The rent adjustment is based on income—if the tenant is receiving more income assistance from the Ministry of Poverty Reduction, then, according to Stack, Society of Hope is obligated by BC Housing to adjust their rent. Conversely, if the tenant’s income has decreased, then their contribution should be reduced. 

“During the COVID period in the last nine months, we’ve been in touch with many, many of our tenants for our annual reviews and we have seen more people have a rent reduction because their income is diminished, than we have seen go up,” confirms Stack. “But really what they are is subsidy adjustments; so we’re not raising the rent on the unit because we’re under a freeze, we couldn’t do that anyway. [The tenant’s income] is what drives the changes.” 

While the woman’s income decreased during the pandemic, her rent was adjusted to a higher rate of $100 extra per month.

“I found it to be a bit tricky because in all my other experiences, I’ve been told that subsidized housing is based on income. This time last year, I was receiving more than I’m receiving now with [a new] baby,” she tells Loose Lips. 

“So, when I went in for my rental adjustment, they were aware of that, and I had to bring in a certified letter from income assistance…to show to the housing society that my income has gone down.”

Kathleen MacKinnon is the CEO of Nine Rising, and works with systemically vulnerable populations in Kelowna as an advocate for equitable, safe housing. She’s advocating on behalf of the single mother whose rent was increased on Dec. 1, 2020.

“The irony of that is, in a COVID-era, when we know vulnerable populations are getting hit harder than anyone else, I find it really ironic that we’re going to adjust subsidies at this time that would affect a rental increase,” MacKinnon says.

From MacKinnon and her client’s point of view, there’s a lot of red tape and little accountability.

“I think what they’re doing—especially right now with the pandemic—is wrong. It’s very complex and very frustrating because no matter where you go, somebody says go to somebody else,” MacKinnon says. 

“One thing I want to highlight is this inaccessibility,” she adds. “Someone who is trying to access their basic needs like housing and support…the hoops that they have to jump through to access support is horrific.”

According to BC Housing, tenants in subsidized housing are required to redeclare their income and assets once a year, at a predetermined annual review date. As the Society of Hope works under an operating agreement with BC Housing, their tenants are obligated to follow this protocol. 

“The birth of a child does not result in an automatic rent recalculation,” Mathews explains. 

“If a mother with a newborn baby was in receipt of income assistance, at the next scheduled review the flat rent would be recalculated based on the new household size.” 

Stack echoes this sentiment.

The change in the rent contribution would be covered by an increased shelter payment through income assistance, they say. For the single mother, however, this hasn’t rung true. 

MacKinnon’s advocacy cuts a critical gaze to the system.

“The people who I’m most horrified by are BC Housing,” says MacKinnon.

“My main priority is making sure there’s accountability here. There needs to be systemic accountability because I think, overall, what is so important is how broken the system is, especially in a pandemic. That’s freaky as hell.”