Surrey Council has asked city staff how they鈥檙e going to work with tenants in illegal Clayton suites.
Residents packed Surrey council chambers for more than two hours Monday night, many awaiting Surrey City Council鈥檚 comments on a report about the suites that are being decommissioned.
The city has sent letters to 175 landlords who have illegal suites, stating they must be removed by the end of January, 2018, in an effort to deal with an ongoing parking problem in the area.
While a report to council Monday night noted staff have received significant positive feedback about the move, it has also been met by much opposition, both from landlords, but also the tenants living in the homes.
After much discussion Monday evening, city council voted to send the report back to staff, asking for more information on how they would work with the people living in the illegal suites.
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Councillor Bruce Hayne was the first to speak, and was met with applause from the audience after stating he鈥檇 鈥渓ike to see more on this corporate report from staff.鈥�
While Hayne and several other councillors said there was no point in having bylaws in the city if they鈥檙e not enforced, he acknowledged this is a 鈥渉uman issue鈥� and said 鈥渨e have to work very closely and compassionately with the community.鈥�
Hayne said he鈥檇 like to see tenants worked with on an individual basis to 鈥渕ake sure lives aren鈥檛 disrupted to a great degree.鈥�
鈥淲e have to do this in a very passionate and caring way and I don鈥檛 think this report completely addresses that so I鈥檇 like to see more information from staff on how staff is going to work with the community, how we鈥檙e going to communicate with the community, to achieve these goals.鈥�
His comments were met with applause a second time.
Councillor Tom Gill said there鈥檚 no question there鈥檚 a parking problem in Clayton, but there are questions about how to fix the problem in a humanitarian way, and over what time period.
鈥淗ow do we accommodate our residents to ensure we don鈥檛 have more people on the street?鈥� he asked.
Gill put a motion forward to send the report back to staff, to address the concerns.
鈥淪pecifically issues I would like staff to deal with is to look at how we will be assessing individual cases. Whether you鈥檙e a senior, whether you have students鈥� I want to be sure our youth have an opportunity to finish out this school year at the school that they attend. These are the kind of anomalies I鈥檇 like staff to deal with.鈥�
Councillor Judy Villeneuve thanked all the residents in council chambers for attending, 鈥渂ecause it鈥檚 a tough issue.鈥�
She wanted to ensure there wasn鈥檛 displacement as a result of the illegal suites being decommissioned, assuring that council is 鈥渘ot turning our heads on the issue.鈥�
The report before council stated there are many more legal secondary suites being built, but Villeneuve pointed out that those 鈥渕ay go quickly or be brought on board at different rates.鈥�
But, like her colleagues, she said it鈥檚 important to ensure that 鈥減eople who are abusing the system are made aware of that.鈥�
Meantime, Councillor Dave Woods brought up the fact that the city
鈥淨uite frankly, I don鈥檛 agree with that,鈥� said Woods, asking how much money the city collects from these illegal suites.
鈥淓very councillor sitting up here is very concerned about families. We鈥檙e concerned about the housing situation in the city, and it never is our intention鈥� to displace young families that are in schools through the school year. I think that somehow we need to go back out to the community, Madame Mayor, and we need to convey in writing to the community, more what the direction of council is鈥� But the bottom line is, I will tell you right now, my position is the suites are illegal.鈥�
Mayor Linda Hepner said there have been more than 7,000 complaints about parking in the area.
But, she followed that up by saying the city has what may be the lowest vacancy rate it鈥檚 ever had, at 0.4 per cent.
鈥淚 think that鈥檚 contributing to our homeless count,鈥� she said.
鈥淚n the midst of our haste to solve the parking problem, we have now confronted, and have, an enormous housing problem.鈥�
She, too, called for more of a 鈥渢ransition鈥� for those being forced to leave illegal suites.
City staff will now draft a report addressing council鈥檚 concerns.
