Operational questions

Our society operates several buildings under different programs. Why can’t we blend them all into one budget/agreement ?

If you have several projects under the same program, blending your budgeting, banking or financial reporting requirements may be feasible. However, different housing programs have different funding arrangements. In some cases it will not be practical to blend operations, because the terms of your operating agreements may vary greatly. Contact your Non-Profit Property Portfolio Manager at BC Housing or Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), depending which organization leads the housing program.

If we want to permanently change the income mix of our PHP/HOMES BC development, what’s the process?

BC Housing may agree to adjust the income mix to reflect local market conditions.

To make an adjustment in the income mix, you will have to demonstrate the need for an alternative approach with supporting figures. We require the following information to determine whether the income mix should be adjusted to meet housing needs in your community:

For assistance and to discuss adjusting the income mix of your development, contact your Non-Profit Property Portfolio Manager (NPPM).

My society just wants to help low income people. Why do we have to have an income mix?

Some programs administered by BC Housing involve units offered exclusively to people in the greatest need, often with the lowest incomes. Other programs have been designed to create mixed income communities. Mixed income housing reflects the broader make up of our society, and research has shown this approach provides a healthy environment for children to grow up in. Accordingly, some programs require the income mix among households in certain developments to reflect the prevailing income mix of households in the community. To achieve a balance of mixed incomes among residents, units in some developments are allocated to:

If someone in a market unit experiences a  signifiicant decrease in household income, can they become an RGI tenant right away, or do we have to wait until a current RGI tenant moves out?

If you have a shallow need resident who no longer needs a subsidy, you can switch the subsidy designation, so the non-RGI resident becomes RGI, and vice versa.

It’s not unusual for a deep or shallow core need resident to become non-RGI, through a change in family composition or employment.

When you’re confident the change in household income is permanent, you can transfer the deep or shallow core designation to another resident who needs the subsidy.

The next option is to wait until an RGI resident leaves, and then switch the subsidy designation between units.

The last option is to apply to BC Housing for approval to change the income mix to give you an additional subsidy.

To change a non-RGI unit to RGI, or an RGI unit to non-RGI, you need to complete a PHP/HOMES BC Change in Unit Designation form . We use this form to track the subsidy and repayable assistance for the development.

My society wants to limit tenant selection to people who belong to our church. Is this possible?

No, under the terms of BC Housing operating agreements, housing providers cannot limit access to housing to members of a particular membership or discriminate based on religion.

Under the Residential Tenancy Act, do we have to give three months notice of a rent increase to people paying 30% of income for rent?

No, you do not have to give people paying a tenant rent contribution (TRC) three months notice of a change in the TRC, because their rent is based on household income. However, best practice suggests that you provide notification of rent increase as soon as possible to avoid tenant hardship.

Do societies and co-operatives have to respond to people who want to look at the records in their tenant/member file?

Under the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), societies and cooperatives must provide individuals with their personal information on request. You have two different options for responding to a request. You can either make a complete copy of the file, or have the resident come into your office to look at the file.

If there is no third party information in the file—such as letters written by other residents about the person asking to see the file—it may be easier to have the resident come in, look at the file, and then just provide copies of any records requested. If there is third party information in the file, you have 30 days to respond to the request, and must sever all the third-party information before copying the records. Information about PIPA is available at: www.bchousing.org/Partners/H_S_Op/Administration/Legislation/Legislation#9

If you need assistance, call our Privacy Officer, who is responsible for Freedom of Information decisions at BC Housing. BC Housing’s Privacy Officer can be reached at 604-433-1711.

What happens if a prospective landlord calls us for a reference on a former resident?

You must get the former resident’s permission before discussing the tenancy. You must only provide information related to the prospective tenant’s suitability as a tenant, such as rental and payment history.

You can obtain permission from former residents in writing, or by speaking to them on the phone.

Can I share former resident information regarding damages or money left owing to our society or co-operative with BC Housing?

Societies and cooperatives can disclose information about a former resident to BC Housing, if the former resident received a rent subsidy and had previously signed an Application for Rent Subsidy form.

Can we house a family of two in a three-bedroom unit, if there are no other applicants?

If you have exhausted all avenues of finding a family who meets the minimum occupancy standards for the three-bedroom unit, you can house a smaller family in the unit.

However, have the family sign an addendum to the tenancy/occupancy agreement to acknowledge they are over housed and agree to move at a later date if another family needs the larger unit. Contact your Non-Profit Property Portfolio Manager for a sample agreement.

Do we have to pursue legal remedies when a resident owes us money, even if we know they have no money?

We recommend that housing providers try to collect debts owed by previous residents, because the money comes from public funds.

If you register the debt with a collection agency, subsequent credit checks will let other organizations know the debt exists. In addition, you may be able to collect the debt from any future earnings.

What are some options for dealing with a difficult tenant or co-operative member?

To begin, develop a policy and process for dealing with disputes. www.bchousing.org/Partners/H_S_Op/Resident/Policies_procedures/Dispute_res

How do we determine the rent for the caretaker’s unit?

Where a caretaker’s rent is set at the market rent, it will be the lower of:

For example, in a 2 bedroom caretaker unit:

In this case the market rent for the caretaker’s unit will be $1,062.

Some housing providers decide to collect a lower rent than the calculated market rent, as part of the caretaker’s employment contract. In this situation, the difference between the rent collected from the caretaker and the calculated market rent is considered to be a taxable benefit and should be included as part of the maintenance salaries line item in the budget.

See the Rent Calculation Guide for information on how to calculate the rent contribution for caretakers in core need.

Should we do criminal record checks on our employees and volunteers?

The Criminal Records Review Act (CRRA) requires individuals working with children or vulnerable adults to have a criminal records check conducted through the Ministry of Justice’s existing Criminal Records Review Program. The checks may be done either through paper or electronic submissions. The CRRA website includes a “Frequently Asked Questions” document to help you determine if this requirement affects your organization. Employers who are funded directly by government agencies (including crown corporations) are subject to the CRRA and the Regulations. In order to verify if your organization is affected, it is recommended you contact the Ministry of Justice directly. There is also a requirement to re-check all affected employees every 5 years. The excerpt below provides some insight into if your organization would be affected . If you have further questions or inquiries about this, you may contact the Ministry directly at the phone number or mailing address available or refer to the website for additional information. www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/criminal-records-review/index.htm .

You may also want to consult with your Employer Association if you are operating a unionized workplace.

The Human Rights Code (section 13) precludes refusing employment based on a conviction or summary conviction that is unrelated to the employment or intended employment of an individual.

Please review the Human Rights Code and Criminal Records Review Act to ensure your decision to conduct checks , or to waive checks does not contravene these acts.

If we tender work, such as a large renovation or repair, and have BC Housing help write the specifications, evaluate the bids, or provide funding for the repair, can unsuccessful bidders access the bidding documents through BC Housing?

No - bidding documents are not available on the the BC Housing website. We utilize the services of an e- tendering provider, MERX.com for this service. If you are running the tender, the Procurement Guidelines for Non-Profit Housing Providers require public notification of work valued at $100,000 or greater. Public notification can be via an e-tendering site or print advertisement.

What kind of records should we be keeping?

Under the Society Act and Co-operative Association Act, you are required to maintain corporate records at your registered address.

Administrative records cover functions such as finance, insurance, meetings, agreements, reports, policies, procedures, facilities management, legal issues, office equipment and supplies, and personnel.

Operational records include housing program development and administration; information on the construction phase and ongoing operations; operational issues; and resident support services, associations and programs.

Store copies of building records—such as contracts, specifications, drawings, etc.—for each development so you have information on the history of the building. For a detailed list of building records, see the Ongoing Maintenance section.

All personal and financial information you collect on applicants, residents and employees.

If you maintain your own applicant registry, keep a list of eligible applicants.

For more information on setting up a records management system, refer to the Administration section.

What security issues should be considered for storing and disposing of records?

All personal and financial information you collect about applicants and residents is confidential and should be securely stored in locked, fireproof filing cabinets to prevent unauthorized access or theft. Ensure any discussions you have about this information remain confidential.

Restrict access to confidential files to authorized staff, directors or volunteers. Use passwords to protect access to confidential computer files.

When you dispose of paper records, hire a bonded, confidential shredding company to shred the documents. When you dispose of computer equipment, simply deleting files is not sufficient. Ensure all the information on the hard drive, computer disks and any other memory systems cannot be retrieved.