Building on its existing Tenant Relocation Policy, the City of Coquitlam is taking additional steps to protect tenants impacted by redevelopment.
COQUITLAM, B.C., November 26, 2024 – Building on its existing Tenant Relocation Policy, the City of Coquitlam is taking additional steps to protect tenants impacted by redevelopment.
At Monday’s Council meeting, City staff received approval to draft a Tenant Protection Bylaw for consideration in spring 2025. The proposed bylaw will be based on the current policy, and it will strengthen the City’s ability to enforce compliance or seek remedies.
The policy was last updated in 2021 and supports tenants in rental buildings proposed for redevelopment by requiring early notice and information, compensation, moving cost support, and assistance in finding alternative housing.
New Tools to Better Protect Renters
The proposed bylaw is enabled by Bill 16, which was introduced by the Province among other housing legislation in late 2023 and early 2024. The bill provides new tools for municipalities to strengthen tenant protection policies in order to mitigate the impacts of displacement that can happen during redevelopment. It includes the authority for municipalities to create tenant protection bylaws, which provide more options to enforce tenant protections consistently across the City and at all stages of the redevelopment process.
Staff are also proposing key changes to the policy as they move the new bylaw forward, including:
- Adjusting compensation levels to make sure long-term tenants’ compensation reflects their unique relocation challenges, which often include the need for more time to find new accommodation, as well as the significant gap between their existing rent and the rent for a new tenancy.
- Increasing moving cost allowances to align with current rates and to link to annual inflation costs.
Aging Rental Stock Drives Need for Stronger Protections
A review of the City’s purpose-built rental housing highlights the importance to have strong tenant protections in place. As of spring 2024, more than 60 per cent of the City’s rental units were 45 years or older – totaling 2,261 out of 3,700 units. And of that number, 86 per cent of these older units are located within provincially-designated Transit-Oriented Areas, which have a higher redevelopment potential due to increased density opportunities.
Continued Commitment to Tenant Protection
Coquitlam’s Tenant Relocation Policy guidance was initially established in 2015, with the last major update taking place in 2021 to clarify and enhance the support, compensation and information for renters during redevelopment of rental housing. The policy creates clear expectations for developers by providing requirements for increased advance notification, support for moving expenses, and a Renter Information Package describing policy requirements and compensation.
Media contact:
Renée De St. Croix
Director Urban Planning and Design
DevInfo@coquitlam.ca
604-927-3430
We acknowledge with gratitude and respect that the name Coquitlam was derived from the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (HUN-kuh-MEE-num) word kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (kwee-KWET-lum) meaning “Red Fish Up the River”. The City is honoured to be located on the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm traditional and ancestral lands, including those parts that were historically shared with the q̓ic̓əy̓ (kat-zee), and other Coast Salish Peoples.