New Westminster Acorn Speaks Out for Stronger Heat Protection

On Monday, May 12, ACORN members showed up to New Westminster City Council due to a proposed amendment to landlord licensing in the city that would ban the ability for landlords to prevent tenants from getting A/C, and also a proposal for the city to add three full-time positions for tenant-related enforcement and support.

New West ACORN Chair Monica Bhandari spoke to the mayor and council about how this is a life or death issue for many renters and while we support this amendment, it’s a far cry from what was initially proposed: a cool room in each apartment. “Simply making it against City by-law for a landlord to unreasonably ban a tenant from installing portable A/C doesn’t go far enough to protect significant and vulnerable demographics of renters – those who cannot afford to purchase their own A/C or those who can’t afford to run them. No matter which way you slice it, affordability plays a critical role in the implementation of this amendment.” She emphasized that New Westminster must “be bold and do what’s needed to protect their constituents from the substantial dangers of climate change.” This statement was well-received by most members of the council!

We are very happy to see these three full-time positions, and hope to see more proactive enforcement of tenants’ rights from New West next year if these positions are approved!

The ban on A/C prevention was passed unanimously, and the proposal for three full-time positions passed with five in favour and two against! ACORN will keep fighting for even stronger protections, but we’re very glad New West landlords no longer have the right to ban their tenants from life-saving air conditioning as the summers get hotter!