POLICY SUPPORTS & POLICY SUCCESS Workshop Notes

POLICY SUPPORTS

What are the policy requirements?

WHAT THIS TOPIC INCLUDES...

• communication plan
• support in finding new housing
• special consideration for vulnerable tenant support

1 Which policy supports are the most important to you and why?

**most important** * supports in finding new housing * securing other safe housing * relocation coordinator

why

• different supports for different tenants (range of needs)
• assess situations differently - and support in finding comfortable relocations
• financial compensation: moving expenses is an issue for many people
• hard to find something affordable and that can meet individual needs
• supported housing - liaise with BC Housing for more resources/capacity
• medical services are often assigned based on where they live (if they move, they may be assigned a different doctor)

relocation coordinator

• relocation support would be helpful in navigating process + coordinating applications, viewing, negotiating costs (removes the heavy lifting)
• provide location, timing of builds, etc.
• can one person in this role handle the amount of relocations?
• need more direction from development - coordinator can better know and communicate to possible tenants

relocation support

• Formal, written policies and procedures improve overall organizational performance by keeping everyone on the same page when it comes to expectations and issues.

2 If you have any previous experience with tenant assistance, what worked well? What didn’t?

previous experiences

• time/effort to find new housing (like another full time job)
• renovictions for existing tenants?
• very challenging to find rental housing even with resources available
• especially for newcomers coming from outside of the District
• "I moved here here 2 years ago and it was quite challenging for me to find a place. I’ll agree to that."

3 Are there population groups that face more challenges in finding affordable, adequate rental housing? What types of supports would have the greatest impact for these renters in Saanich?

vulnerable tenant support

• "I also think about who is vulnerable and literally anyone making minimum wage now days is vulnerable, students, people with disabilities, people with bigger families and it isn’t just victims of abuse, and people of low income in the traditional sense, so I agree with Ryan that it is a huge huge under taking"
• most people renting are vulnerable than not
• people who are tied to a community and neighbourhood
• lack of legal power as a renter in a shared house (being lease holder)
• safeguard for homeowners to rent out suites in their homes

vulnerable populations

• Black people
• Students
• people with disabilities find difficult in getting a comfortable rental

people on fixed incomes

• income threshold - what is the cutoff for that?

seniors

• age in place - especially in more established neighbourhoods
• walkable places and ability to age in place
• we're designing neighbourhoods to be more localized - for people to access everything nearby
• transportation support for those that have to access needs/services outside of where they live

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