Campaign News

• New report demonstrates vacancy control is a common-sense policy urgently needed to address housing crisis

  Published on September 13, 2023

  

  BURNABY, B.C. (Coast Salish Territories) – The B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU) today released Evaluating Prospects for Vacancy Control Policy in B.C.'s Housing Affordability Crisis, a comprehensive assessment of vacancy control policy (where rent control is tied to the unit rather than a tenancy agreement). The report finds no evidence that tying rent to the unit has had significant negative impacts on developing new rental housing supply. Instead, a lack of vacancy control represents a loophole in B.C.'s rent control laws that has allowed rents to rise between 10-23 per cent year after year since 2019 in major metro areas. 

• Victory: Province caps rent increases below inflation for 2023

  Published on September 07, 2022

  

  
  The BCGEU is welcoming today’s announcement from Premier John Horgan that the provincial maximum allowable rent increase for 2023 will be set at two per cent.

• Victory: City of Burnaby Greenlights BCGEU Affordable Housing Project - BC General Employees' Union

  Published on April 26, 2022

  

  Replicable model could be a gamechanger for tackling housing affordability

  Burnaby - Yesterday, Burnaby councillors voted seven to two in favour of a rezoning application brought forward by the BCGEU that had the potential to offer a new model for tackling housing affordability.

• BCGEU calls on government to protect renters by extending eviction ban

  Published on July 17, 2020

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
  July 17, 2020 
  
  BCGEU calls on government to protect renters by extending eviction ban
   
  Burnaby, B.C. – The BCGEU is calling on the provincial government to extend the ban on evictions for non-payment of rent—today the government announced that ban will be lifted on September 1st.

• Victory: Province freezes rent increases and suspends evictions

  Published on April 01, 2020

  

  The BCGEU is welcoming news that the provincial government will be suspending evictions and freezing rent increases as part of a series of measures meant to protect renters during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Victory: Burnaby introduces strongest renter protections in Canada

  Published on December 06, 2019

   

  

  BURNABY - Earlier this week, Burnaby city council unanimously approved a proposed new tenant assistance policy that will provide the strongest protections in Canada to renters facing demoviction.

• Victory: BCGEU welcomes the provincial government's Rental Housing Task Force report and recommendations

  Published on December 12, 2018

  In July 2018 the BC Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU) made a submission to the provincial government's Rental Housing Task Force recommending measures to expand and better protect the supply of rental housing in the province. Today, the Task Force released its report and 23 policy recommendations that will help to improve life for tenants in B.C.

• Standing with our neighbours facing demoviction in Burnaby

  Published on July 26, 2018

  

  The BCGEU joined with residents and organizers at ACORN BC in repeated calls for a moratorium on demovictions in the city. Finally, it seems that Council is starting to notice mounting opposition to their housing policy.

• The Fixed Term Lease Loophole: A BCGEU Member’s Experience

  Published on January 04, 2018

   

  

  Anne lives in Vancouver and has been a BCGEU member since 2012. These are her words:

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• Victory: Stopping Mass Evictions in Clayton area of Surrey

  Published on January 04, 2018

   

  

  Amanda is a homeowner in the community of Clayton in Surrey, where hundreds of renter families were facing eviction at a time when vacancy rates in Surrey are near 0%. Earlier this week, they won a major victory at the Surrey city council. Amanda has been a BCGEU member since 2002. These are her words:

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