BANFF – Several landlords in Banff have been stepping up to offer rent relief for their tenants during the COVID-19 crisis before it was mandated by the Alberta government.
Banff Lodging Co., one of Banff’s largest employers, is offering employee housing for as low as $3 a day in the tourist town where estimates of up to 85 per cent of Banff’s workforce has been laid off during the pandemic.
“We identified housing as the number one priority for staff on temporary layoff, because we wanted to make sure that they’d have a place to stay that they could still afford,” said Gordon Lozeman, president and CEO of Banff Lodging Co, a division of Banff Caribou Properties.
“We’re still housing over 200 employee residents, though sadly, a lot have left town and are still leaving town.”
Banff Lodging Co. has gone from about 800 employees to about 100, through a combination of layoffs and people just leaving from lack of work.
"So almost 90 per cent of our workforce so far," said Lozeman. "It’s been heart-breaking."
Because there’s no visitors in town, Banff Lodging Co.’s hotels essentially have become a form of residential housing as well.
“We’re making hotel rooms available to Banff healthcare workers at rates that we never offered anyone else in history – $40 for the first night and $10 for each night thereafter,” said Lozeman.
Banff Lodging Co. is also working with the Town of Banff on food security initiatives, such as offering affordable meal delivery options to its employees and the broader community.
“It’s part-and-parcel with housing needs,” said Lozeman.
Last week, the provincial government announced that landlords must attempt to work out a payment plan with tenants who are unable to make their full rent while the state of public health emergency remains in effect.
Effective immediately, tenants cannot be evicted for non-payment of rent or utilities.
In addition, landlords cannot raise the rent on residential properties, even if notice of an increase has already been given, until the state of public health emergency is over.
Over the next three months, landlords cannot further penalize tenants who are late on rent by charging late fees, even if the signed rental agreement states that a late fee can be applied. Landlords will also not be able to retroactively collect late fees for this period.
Banff Housing Corporation had already come out in front of the provincial announcement, by offering rent deferrals or reductions to residents of the Ti’nu housing apartments that have lost jobs or seen reduced work hours during the pandemic.
In Ti’nu’s case, if at least one person listed on the lease has been laid off, or had work hours reduced due to the pandemic, rent will be deferred until April 15 to allow time for provincial and federal relief programs to kick in.
For April, May and June, rent will be reduced to 30 per cent of gross household income for households whose employment status is still affected by the crisis, a household with a $1,500 monthly income would pay $450 rent for example.
Alison Gerrits, who is Banff’s deputy director of emergency management under the state of local emergency and emergency coordination centre, said if other landlords are looking for a model, she believes the Ti’nu one is a good example.
“I’ve personally heard some amazing stories of care and support being provided by landlords,” said Gerrits.
“We want to say thank you to those landlords, but those landlord that haven’t, here’s our example.”
It is estimated that up to 85 per cent of Banff's workforce have been laid off or left because of lack of work.
Gerrits said the municipality is asking landlords to show flexibility, compassion and support to their tenants during this challenging time.
“Please talk to you renters, understand their financial positions and do what you can to keep renters safely housed,” she said.
“This particular request is directed to landlords to try to prevent an unnecessary housing crisis from occurring. What we don’t want to see is people losing their housing because they can’t make rent during this emergency.”
Property owners have already been given relief from provincial and federal governments, plus the six big banks are offering six-month mortgage deferrals.
The Town of Banff is offering property owners who are on a monthly tax installment payment plan the option to suspend monthly contributions until the annual tax deadline on June 30. In addition, those on the plan can also request a refund for the first three months of payments they had made in January, February and March.
On top of that, the Town won’t charge any interest, typically calculated at 1.5 per cent per month, for the next three months if people aren’t in a position to pay their first quarter utility bills for sewer, water and solid waste.
“All these measures are intended to address immediate cash flow issues which homeowners may have, so with that, we’re asking landlords to provide some flexibility and support to their tenants,” said Gerrits.
“We want people who want to stay in Banff if they they want to stay in Banff during this time of unprecedented level of uncertainty.”
Ti’nu residents must contact the BHC office by email or phone to arrange the deferral. [email protected] or 403.762.1115
