Low cost housing dispute spurs demonstration in Surrey
Posted April 5, 2014 5:05 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SURREY (NEWS1130) – A demonstration at Kwantlen Park Manor in Surrey Saturday had several dozen people urging the government to create more affordable housing. Former tenants can’t believe the building still hasn’t been fixed but the province waived a hefty fine anyhow.
Sue Collard with Social Housing Alliance ACORN says it’s a travesty the building on 106th Avenue near 129th Street sits empty. Tenants were evicted from the low-cost housing a year ago following a long battle over getting mold and leaks fixed spanning from 2010 to 2013 according to Collard.
“We need what affordable housing that we have to be maintained while the province gets its house in order. It’s obviously not in order when you can dispute for four years and end up with an empty building,” she says.
Collard claims tenants and ACORN have tried to meet with Housing Minister Rich Coleman over the state of affordable housing, have been left waiting. “It’s prevalent across Canada and across BC. These are people who live in housing with substandard conditions with landlords that don’t do repairs, people whose rent goes up even though repair work isn’t done.”
The province agreed to waive the 115-thousand dollar fee against the landlord if the building on 106th Avenue near 129th Street was fixed–which Collard says hasn’t happened.
