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Pets OK BC & The Mustard Seed Street Church
to Co-Host Town Hall Meeting on Pets & Housing
Pets OK BC and The Mustard Seed Street Church welcome the public and key stakeholders to join in a community town hall to consider the issue of pets and housing. As BC residents struggle with a crisis of affordable housing and extremely low vacancy rates, those with pets find themselves at a particular disadvantage. In the current market, finding housing that is both affordable and allows pets is extremely difficult – at times, impossible. In 2016, the BC SPCA recorded that 1774 pets were surrendered in this province due to lack of affordable, pet-friendly housing.
“For many in our community, companion animals are family members who provide meaning, support and friendship, all of which becomes even more significant in times of stress and challenge. We know this is magnified for those living in poverty, on the streets and on the margins of society. Restrictive housing policies can add to their level of trauma,” said Mustard Seed Executive Director Bruce Curtiss. “We support a community conversation of key stakeholders with the goal of arriving at win-win ways forward.”
“A blanket ban on pets by landlords is unreasonable,” said Jordan Reichert of Pets OK BC. “It causes no end of problems and suffering for both animals and people. There are ways of accommodating both pets and the concerns of landlords. BC can and should follow in Ontario’s footsteps and amend the current discriminatory housing legislation. We’d like the opportunity to sit down and engage with fellow stakeholders on this issue in order to work out an equitable solution.”
The town hall will take place at the Cook St. Activity Centre on Saturday, April 8th from 1 till 4 pm. A panel discussion will be followed by breakout groups and a plenary session moderated by former conductor and conflict resolution specialist Peter McCoppin.
RSVP on the Facebook Event Page here.
Where: Cook Street Activity Centre
380 Cook Street, #1, Victoria, V8V 3X7
When: Saturday, April 8th
1pm till 4pm
Entry: Entry is free. The Mustard Seed will be accepting donations of pet food.
About Pets OK BC
Pets OK BC is a community group advocating for the abolition of unreasonable pet restrictions in rental housing in British Columbia, Canada.
About The Mustard Seed Street Church
The Mustard Seed Street Church has been essential in fighting hunger and restoring faith to thousands of people living on the street, as well as the working poor, in greater Victoria since 1975. We are nearly 100 percent community funded. The Mustard Seed operates Vancouver Island’s largest food bank, a hospitality centre for the street community, a residential addiction recovery program at Hope Farm Healing Centre in Duncan, and a family resource centre that supports families and children in crisis and transition. We assist over 5,000 people monthly with the help of more than 50 volunteers every day.
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I am in favour of pets being allowed, but I sincerely think pet owners should have to take a course on how to be responsible pet owners. I am a responsible pet owner and my present landlord has attested to that. Yet as the home I am living in is up for sale & I must find new accomm. I am running into the “no pet policy”. We must look at the other side too, I was once in the position of being a landlord to 6 months while waiting for my home to sell following my husband’s death. I trusted my temporary tenant and she totally trashed the broadloom in the home, the cats used it as a giant place to pee. I had to replace the complete carpeting costing me $6,000, thus gaining nothing by renting. So seriously I can see both sides of this problelm.
I do think is very therapeutic to have a pet especially when you live alone for whatever reason. One night I was lonely following my hubby’s death and having already parted with my 2 shih tzus, that I cried all night long. The following morning I took myself to the local SPCA and adopted a beautiful 3 year old cat who had been there 1 year. She was just what I needed at the time and I still have her. Before I adopted her though the SPCA checked me out with my landlord and was given an excellent rating, & I know these people would not have done that if it were not true.
Let’s say we all need to be accountable, perhaps the pet advocate leaders who I cheer on, can come up with a criteria that will meet both tenant and landlord needs. I do not blame landlords for not wanting their investments trashed by irreponsible pet owners, and we all know there are some like that, let’s not try to hide that.
One of the biggest reasons there is such a low vacancy rate is that landlords already have few rights in BC. If you make it even harder to be a landlord, you will find even fewer places to rent. Sorry, but that’s just reality.
I currently rent out a basement suite to a great tenant with 2 dogs. However, she was carefully screened and selected, and there are still some issues. I guarantee that if I’m not allowed to restrict pet ownership for future tenants that the suite will just stay empty rather than risk someone getting a noisy or destructive animal that costs me money or sleep.
There are many great pet owners out there and I encourage landlords to find them and rent to them. It sucks being a responsible pet owner and to not be able to find a place to live. But please don’t make it mandatory. Dogs especially need a lot of work to train, clean up after them, and exercise them, and they cannot be left alone all day, especially when young, or they bark and wreck things. Way too many people do not understand the responsibility of dog ownership.
I understand where you are coming from but at the same time people are saying no pets to animals like hamsters and guinea pigs which is ridiculous.
But it’s also not fair that 1774 pets have had to he given up because of this no pet clause. Do you know how hard it is to actually give up a family member?
It’s the same as if someone moves in with a new born baby that cries and cries all night long or kids that scream all night long. Should we have a clause on that too? Cause that does the same thing as a dog barking.
I wonder if reptiles will be discussed at this meeting? Properly contained animals who do no harm to a suite should not be an issue. Proper education would end the stigma against reptiles, especially snakes.