‘Do I start packing?’: Manitoba renters struggle to keep up, demand change

Rent increases have pushed more than a few into survival mode. Advocates and tenants demand action, saying Manitoba could fix this crisis, which is leaving many without a home.

A woman living in Sage Creek, Man., was supposed to be retired and using her fixed income to travel. Now, she’s working hard to pay her rent each month, which increased by $200 in 2022.

Rent increases like this, which are generally above the guideline set by Manitoba’s Residential Tenancies Branch (RTB), have pushed some people into survival mode when they thought they had found a secure place to live.

Advocates and tenants are demanding action as they wait on the upcoming provincial election next month, saying Manitoba could fix this crisis, which is leaving many without a home.

“We know from the street census, the homelessness survey, the number two cause of people’s most recent entry into homelessness was conflict or eviction from a landlord, and sometimes renoviction,” said Yutaka Dirks, the chair of the Right to Housing Coalition.

He said the number one cause was not having enough income to afford housing costs.

Brendan Devlin has first-hand experience with the high cost of rising rent. In February 2022, he said tenants in his building received notice that his landlord would be applying for a 22-per rent increase after some renovations that left him and his neighbours suspicious.

“We woke up one Monday morning, at like 8 a.m., to very loud construction in our hallway, and there was no prior notification. They were redoing our floors, which to us felt kind of ominous,” he said.

“They weren’t great, but they were acceptable for sure. They did not need to be renovated.”