Whereas the provincial government has pledged to alleviate the rental housing crisis, strengthen tenant protections, and expand the efficacy of the Residential Tenancy Branch; And whereas BC is in the midst of a housing crisis which has pushed many tenants into vulnerable living situations and legal aid funding for tenancy issues would provide tenants with a fair opportunity to participate in the adjudication of their tenancy issues: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM advocate that the provincial government reinstate the funding of poverty law legal aid for tenancy issues.
Ministry of Attorney General The Province provides funding for four community law clinics and four specialized legal clinics across British Columbia. The Housing Legal Clinic, one of the specialized legal clinics, provides information, advice, and representation for housing law matters including but not limited to, judicial review applications of Residential Tenancy Branch RTB decisions at the BC Supreme Court, enforcement of RTB monetary orders at small claims court, and housing situations that fall outside of the Residential Tenancy Act. The community law clinics provide legal services for a number of community law matters, including tenancy issues. In addition, the Province co-funds four poverty law advocates who provide free legal information, advocacy and representation to low income people in the community for poverty law matters, including tenancy issues. Government remains committed to increasing access to justice for British Columbians.