Advocacy Issues

What you need to know about your rights and access to cooling under BC Hydro’s program providing free portable air conditioners to tenants.

Am I eligible for a free air conditioner from BC Hydro?
If you are a low-income renter, you may be able to get a free air conditioner
from BC Hydro.

What are the income limits to qualify for the BC Hydro free air conditioner program?

Number of people in household (including children)	Maximum household income before taxes
1 person	$39,700
2 people	$49,500
3 people	$60,800
4 people	$73,800
5 people	$83,700
6 people	$94,400
7 or more people	$105,100

How do I apply for the BC Hydro air conditioner program?
You can apply online at https://app.bchydro.com/powersmart/residential/ps_low_income/energy_saving_kits/esk/home

What information do I need to provide to apply?

• Your BC Hydro account number
• Proof of income (your Notice of assessment from the CRA, confirmation of income assistance/welfare, SAFER or BC Housing documents, Child Benefits documents, or Guaranteed Income Supplement documents)
• Landlord consent form, filled out by your landlord
• You can upload these documents through the online portal, or send them by mail.

How do I get consent from my landlord?
You will need to ask your landlord to fill out a short consent form.

What if my landlord does not want to sign the consent form?
A FIRST UNITED legal advocate can help ask your landlord to sign the form.

Can my landlord stop me from putting in an air conditioner?
Heat waves pose a health risk and it is essential to have adequate cooling in your home.

• If your rental agreement does not mention air conditioners or if you do not have a written agreement, your landlord cannot stop you from installing one as long as it is done safely.
• If your rental agreement says “no air conditioners” but there is no good reason for it, you may still be allowed to have one air conditioner. Unfair or unreasonable rules may not be enforceable. If this is your situation, seek help from a legal advocate.
• If your rental agreement has limits such as: only one air conditioner allowed, air conditioners not allowed in certain windows for safety reasons, or limiting the BTU (cooling power) of allowed air conditioners due to energy use, these will likely be acceptable limits.

Where can I find a legal advocate?
You can access FIRST UNITED’s legal advocacy program during our intake times:

FIRST UNITED Legal Advocacy Office
542 E Hastings St, Vancouver

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 9:30 – 11:30 AM
Tuesday, Thursday: 1:00 – 3:00 PM

What is FIRST UNITED doing for tenants’ rights to cooling in their homes?
We are advocating for tenants’ rights to cooling in their homes with
provincial stakeholders. To learn more about our policy work on this issue
follow us on social media @FirstUnitedDTES and sign up for our email
updates here.

More information about your rights to adequate cooling and air conditioners:

• RTB Info Sheet on Air Conditioners: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/housing-and-tenancy/residentialtenancies/information-sheets/rtb-acunits.pdf
• RTB Guideline 8: Unconscionable, Unlawful, and Material Terms: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/housing-and-tenancy/residential-tenancies/policy-guidelines/gl8.pdf

Download the pdf to print or share:

https://admin.firstunited.ca/app/uploads/2024/07/AC-Program-Infosheet-4pg.pdf

On April 26, Premier David Eby announced his plans to recriminalize substance use in BC. This is a deadly step backward. We are disturbed to see this shift in policy that will keep people in cycles of criminalization, and without question lead to more people dying because they will use alone and in non-visible spaces.

Criminalization also does not direct or support people toward treatment, should they seek it.

This is a deadly choice.

Write to Premier Eby to tell him and the provincial government that you object to policy that will kill. Tell the BC Government that decriminalization and safe supply are the path forward to saving lives and supporting people who use drugs.

Tell Eby that you unequivocally do not agree or support this change.

If you don’t see the form, please refresh your browser.

“Everyone Needs a Home: Solutions for Preventing Homelessness, Evictions, and Displacement”, is our law reform platform that provides evidence-based recommendations drawing on research and statistical analysis, case law, legislation from multiple Canadian jurisdictions, Residential Tenancy Branch datasets, and the BC Eviction Mapping dataset (which has documented the mechanisms of eviction since mid-2022) for the Residential Tenancy Act.

In BC, hundreds of thousands of households rely on both rental housing and the law to provide a basic level of protection and stability. Tenants in British Columbia have faced dramatic increases in rent paired with the highest eviction rates in the country. The impacts on our most vulnerable neighbours cannot be overstated. Homelessness, community displacement, family separation, disconnection from work and necessary services, and a host of physical and mental health impacts follow eviction. 

The Residential Tenancy Act has the potential to meet these challenges, but in order to do so, it must change. It must offer a concrete response to the risks posed by the commodification of housing and profiteering. Many of the core features of the Act are decades old and do not address present realities.

Calls to Action

Read the summary of our platform and the full platform below. Then, take action and sign our petition calling on Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing, to implement these pressing amendments.

Read the Summary

Read the Full Report