A new working group is exploring the possibility of removing supportive housing from British Columbia’s Residential Tenancy Act (RTA) in an effort to address safety concerns at the facilities.
Housing & Municipal Affairs Minister Ravi Kahlon said on Monday the province wants to make sure housing providers are able to take action against problematic tenants and improve worker safety.
Kahlon said he has heard concerns from supporting housing providers about enforcing rules around drug-use and weapons on site.
The RTA outlines rules and protections for tenants in B.C., including around ending a tenancy. Most rentals in the province are covered by the Act, but there are certain exceptions – including for emergency shelters and transitional housing. Removing supportive housing from the Act would give providers more powers to evict tenants who break a facility’s rules.
Kahlon said providers need the tools necessary to enforce rules at housing sites.
“We know that low-barrier supportive housing is needed, but that doesn’t mean no barriers,” Kahlon told reporters.
Kahlon sidestepped questions from reporters about how removing supportive housing from the RTA could impact residents who do follow safety rules. He said the committee will be examining the question of how to balance support for tenants while enforcing rules to ensure safety for tenants and workers.
“Connective sees first-hand the strengths and limitations of applying the Residential Tenancy Act in this context,” said Liz Vick Sandha, chief operating officer of Connective, which has over 400 supportive housing units across B.C.
“Supportive housing, as a distinct service model, may benefit from a more tailored framework, one better attuned to the unique needs of its tenants and staff.”
Kahlon said the working group will engage with stakeholders throughout coming months with a goal of making recommendations by this fall.
Its members will include supportive housing providers, law enforcement and union representatives, as well as staff from the province and BC Housing. The province said the group will also engage with First Nations and tenant advocates.
Air quality a concern for supportive housing workers
The B.C. government said in recent years there has been a shift among users of fentanyl toward smoking the drug, rather than injecting it. That has led WorkSafeBC to develop new air-quality safety standards for second-hand exposure to fentanyl. WorkSafeBC said the limits are not intended to draw a line between safe and harmful conditions, but rather to measure potential exposure to help guide reduction tactics.
The province has commissioned air-quality tests at more than a dozen buildings in Victoria and Vancouver, finding workers in some facilities were exposed to an unsafe level of fentanyl in the air.
A report released this month on air-quality at one Vancouver supportive housing and emergency shelter found certain areas of the building exceeded the regulatory 8-hour exposure limit for fentanyl. In some areas, fluorofentanyl concentrations were approximately five times higher than the 8-hour legal limit. The report said the exposure presents a “significant risk” to workers.
Its recommendations include improving ventilation at the facility, requiring staff wear respiratory protection when entering suites and other higher-risk areas, and enforcing a strict no-smoking policy indoors.
The government said the air-quality reports will help in the development of provincial guidance on reducing second-hand exposure to fentanyl in supportive housing and shelters.
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