ACORN Pushes New West Council to Act on Cooling for Tenants

On Monday, December 1, members of New West ACORN spoke at City Council in support of the new Vulnerable Buildings Assessment report and its recommendations to protect tenants from extreme heat. The report echoed what New West tenants have known for a while, most rental buildings are in the hottest neighbourhoods of the City, and there are practically no resources or programs available to help low-income tenants get cooling equipment. Monica Bhandari, Chair of New West ACORN, delivered a strong message urging Council to move quickly on providing direct, in-unit cooling support to low-income renters. 

ACORN highlighted the urgent need for real, on-the-ground solutions as summers become hotter and more dangerous, especially for seniors, low-income families, and people living in buildings without proper ventilation or cooling. We called on the City to prioritize tenant-focused programs that get cooling units and other protections directly into homes as soon as possible. 

Councillors expressed clear support for accelerating tenant cooling measures and voted in favour of adopting the report’s recommendations. For the first time the City will act to directly incentivize retrofits that add cooling to the hottest and most vulnerable buildings in the city, and explore a program that directly supports low-barrier cooling solutions for tenants in their homes. This is a major step forward for renters across New Westminster — and ACORN will keep pushing to ensure the City follows through with fast, meaningful action that keeps tenants safe.