Alberta tenant union wants province to establish rent increase cap

Protesters with the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) in Alberta rallied for rent control Saturday outside the head office of the Boardwalk Real Estate Investment Trust in Calgary.

Rent in Calgary has risen more than 27 per cent for a one-bedroom apartment over the past year – one of the biggest rent hikes in Canada in that timeframe.

A two-bedroom apartment costs on average $1,934 per month, according to an August rent report by Rentals.ca.

Fable Dowling, a central Calgary ACORN member, is asking the province to put more control on rent prices.

“What tenants are going through is unacceptable for the province of Alberta,” he said. “The lack of protections for tenants is forcing more people than ever before to struggle to keep a roof over their heads. We are your neighbours, friends and family members. We are new families, single parents, students, and seniors. The province of Alberta must protect us by enacting rent control now.”

ACORN is also asking political parties in Alberta to include rent control in their plans, as they prepare for the upcoming provincial election next spring.

READ MORE:

• Alberta NDP convention focuses on affordability and healthcare

  ---

ACORN wants rent control to include annual rent increases capped at inflation, and a rental registry that ensures rental prices are tracked in a registry to monitor price increases.

The registry also collects data to use in regulating rental prices.