Langley City has more than doubled potential compensation for renters displaced by development.
On Monday, July 22, council unanimously approved an update to the City's two-year-old Tenant Relocation Plans Policy to help people who live in purpose-built, market-priced rental buildings facing redevelopment.
Previously, the maximum compensation a long-term tenant, with more than 20 years in a building facing redevelopment, could claim was six months rent. That rises to as much as 16 months, in cases involving "vulnerable" tenants.
Carl Johannsen, City director of development services, told council "most if not all future development applications in the city will involve vulnerable tenants,” defined as residents in a rented suite for 10 years or more, many of them seniors on fixed incomes, who are paying less than market.
Compensation for moving expenses will be boosted, from $750 to $900 for one-bedroom units and more for larger suites and the vulnerable. Developers will be required to help displaced tenants find a similar home. Eligible renters may return to the redeveloped building at 20 per cent below market rent.
The changes will apply to future redevelopments.
Mayor Nathan Pachal said crafting the new policy has been "a ton of work" for staff, who have been consulting experts and renters.
“We identified this at the beginning of our council term, and staff have been full speed ahead on this," Pachal remarked.
Councillors were supportive.
Mike Solyom called the update "long overdue," while expressing frustration the City doesn't have the option of increasing density to drive down costs because of airport-related height restrictions.
Delaney Mack called it a "moderate approach" that will mean added expense for developers, but "“at the end of the day it's my feeling that one person’s profit should not be somebody else’s substantial loss.”
Rosemary Wallace hoped the move will counter perceptions that councillors and staff don't care about the issue, saying "I see the work that our staff does, and council does."
Leith White described it as a needed "major re-draft" of the original policy, passed in 2022.
Teri James said the need for the policy has become "essential" as the pace of development has picked up.
"We used to have not many development applications [in Langley City]" James noted.
A report to council by Johannsen noted longer term tenants are paying proportionately much less rent than shorter term tenants.
It estimated recent rental redevelopment applications in the City displaced "an average of 21 tenants that required relocation, and over half of these tenants paid between $700 and $1,000 a month rent, and many resided in the subject building for more than 5 to 10 years."
Average market rent across all bedroom types has increased "rapidly" in Langley City, the report noted, involving a 19 percent increase from 2022 to 2023 alone. Average monthly rent across all bedroom types was $1,705.
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