Will new federal rental protections help British Columbians?

Justin Trudeau is promising funding to protect tenants against renovation and landlord abuse, and requirements for landlords to disclose an apartments pricing history. Nearly 2/3 of young Canadians rent their homes and they spend a greater share of their income on housing than other generations. And in cities like Vancouver, where we are today, this is even more true. This is the most expensive city to rent in in the country. A UBC study published last year found. BC is the eviction capital of Canada. Rate of Almost double the national average. Fiona Scott has been evicted from three different homes over the last 15 years, all for reasons out of her control. Most recently, she was renovated from her Kitsilano apartment in 2021, a place she had called home for seven years. When you’re forced to be in a situation where you’re impending, rent is proportionally more than what you’ve been paying for the last few years. Through no choice of our own, it’s it’s hard. And so, yeah, it’s a it’s a panic mode. She hopes Ottawa’s new measures will protect those in similar situations. Even if it just allows the rental. Rentee to have a little bit more time to find out their, you know, stats and what, what, how they’re protected. Because. The The panic of being renovated is settling for less. The Liberals are also proposing to change federal rules so that making rental payments on time could count towards your credit score to help renters one day buy a house. BC’s housing minister says it’s a small step in the right direction. The idea that someone can use their rental history as part of their credit score, I think it will help a lot of people. As for the Bill of Rights, we’ll have to wait for the details. Many of the things that are being suggested are actually things that we’ve already done here in British Columbia. But many Vancouver renters say even with the new reforms, home ownership still feels out of reach. Vancouver. Or the Lower Mainland in general. It’s a really expensive to buy houses. And for me? I would have to win the lottery. That’s the only way. Just the cost of living. You count actually have a life and save enough money at the same time. It’s yeah, it’s rough. The measures will be introduced as part of the upcoming federal budget, slated to drop in mid-april. Michelle Gomez, CBC News, Vancouver.