Mass recruitment increases the spark call for caps

Residents of the Glenmore Gardens apartment complex on 90 Avenue SW in Calgary are facing huge rent increases when they renew their leases.

“That's right,” Cherry Champagne said, snapping her fingers for emphasis.

“We just got a (new) lease and he said we're going up $600.”

For Champagne, who lives with her daughter and two grandchildren in one of the townhouses in the complex, it's a rent increase of just over 30 percent she can't afford.

“It's my daughter, my two granddaughters and I are going to leave and go to my father's house,” Champagne said.

Rent increases do not affect all residents equally, as they apply when the lease is extended.

Jessica Saunders is a single mother, currently out of work and receiving WCB benefits.

Recently, he found out that the rent was going up.

“Thankfully, if I stick to my budget, I can afford it. But I have two young children. I'm a single mother. So it's going to be very difficult,” she said.

Lucia Oliveira, a resident of Glenmore Gardens, is trying to find a solution for residents who have to resist the increase and leave.

“I expect a quick decision because a lot of people are running out of time,” Oliveira said.

“They have to make a decision right now in the middle of winter.

Avenue Living took over the buildings in December.

“We manage rent growth with the Avenue Living Market Index. This index measures how Avenue Living renewals compare to market rents. The index aims to smooth rent growth against market rent movements,” company spokeswoman Tammy Cho said in a statement. to CTV.

“Currently, the average rental price in Glenmore Gardens is 30 percent below market rate. Given the rate of market rate advancement, our renewal rates remain below market.”

Cho also said the company plans to spend $4 million on renovations and upgrades to the complex.

Walking hikes renew calls to limit rent control in Alberta.

The region's NDP MLA, Nagwan Al-Gunaid, said the rent increases would allow many tenants, especially the elderly, to stay in their homes.

“You need temporary measures, quick curbs to ease this out-of-control growth,” Al-Gunaid said.

“Alberta has seen the steepest increase in rents in Canada because of our (current government's) policies.”

Seniors, Community and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon says rents will never be under UCP control.

“100 percent, this government will never implement rent control because it will destroy our economy and make more people homeless. Instead, we will focus on building more housing,” Nixon said.

“By December 2023, our province will be 65 per cent housing starts, the highest number of apartments in our history, and anything related to rent control will be on hold.”

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation says Calgary's custom-built rental market saw a 14.3 per cent increase in rents in 2023 compared to 2022.

This is the highest growth of any city in Canada and also the highest growth recorded for a city since 2007.