While the NDP government is saving average renters nearly $500 annually with its plan to keep increases to the rate of inflation, the BC Liberals’ policy would push housing costs out of control.

The government announced today that the maximum rent increase for 2020 is capped at 2.6 per cent, a 40 per cent decrease from the rent policy that existed under the former BC Liberal government.

Things would be even worse under BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson who was forced to apologize in March for calling renting a “wacky time” and a “rite of passage.”

When asked in September 2018, Wilkinson said he opposes a cap on rent (CHNL, September 18, 2018).

This B.C. Liberal policy would cost renters hundreds of dollars more.

Wilkinson’s housing critic Sam Sullivan doubled down on those comments, advocating for scrapping rent increase caps entirely.

“A few months ago [the NDP government] sent the market of rental housing into chaos after announcing that [they] would be imposing rent controls. Rent controls!” (HANSARD, March 25, 2019).

Sullivan went on to argue for an unrestricted “supply and demand” system for determining rent that would cause rental housing costs to skyrocket.

BC NDP MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert, Chair of the Rental Housing Task Force:

“Housing is a necessity of life and is core to the safety and security of BC families. The BC Liberals would cause real financial harm to people by allowing sky high rent increases. Our plan keeps rent increases under control and ensures increases are predictable and manageable.”