RENT SMART IN ACTION
Latest Projects + InnovationWe are always building and expanding to improve our impact.
Here are some of our latest projects we’re excited to share with you.
A New Rent Smart Collaboration
Capacity Building
with The City of Calgary
A key philosophy that guides Rent Smart education is that many aspects of housing instability and eviction are fundamentally preventable through tenants and landlords building effective relationships in which rights and responsibilities are exercised with empathy and considerate communication.
The project consists of 4 components:
- Community Consultation & Needs Assessment
- Analysis & Event Program Development
- Capacity Building Online Event
- Project Evaluation
Use of this framework by housing providers creates common language and a way to recognize why evictions may be occurring and how to change the outcome. This way, housing providers can start to audit evictions to understand where shifts in practice or policy can be used for early intervention, different approaches, and more positive outcomes.
Furthermore, project participants will be able to approach ongoing eviction prevention efforts long after the project completion, with renewed insight and connection to the evolving practice.
Links to the upcoming Capacity Building Online Event is coming soon.
Project completion is scheduled for September 2022.
**This project is made possible through financial support of the City of Calgary. We gratefully acknowledge the Calgary Drop-In & Rehab Centre Society as a long-standing Rent Smart Partner & Regional Champion.
A Rent Smart Collaboration
Calgary Rent Smart
2021-22 Program
with The City of Calgary Home Program
The 2021-22 program offers Calgary tenants, Housing and other service providers a range of free tenant education resources for renters, and those supporting tenants. In consideration of COVID-19, all programs are offered online.
1. Info Sessions and Capacity Building Webinars
Learn more about the Rent Smart program, key concepts and takeaways for increasing housing stability in one of our upcoming info sessions. Or participate in, one of two, tenancy legislative overview webinars delivered in partnership with Calgary Legal Guidance.
2. Calgary RentSmart Certificate Tenant Education Courses
Renting is a complicated set of skills! RentSmart Certificate courses are a well-rounded life skills approach to tenant education, suitable for new and current renters. Gain the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to navigate tenancy through a mix of self-directed and facilitated Zoom sessions.
We have added new public courses for 2022. It’s available for everyone!
3. Calgary RentSmart Online
Prefer to work at your own pace? No problem – check out our RentSmart Online Course. This is a free, self-directed version of the RentSmart Certificate course that covers all of the same skills and knowledge shared in the facilitated version. Service Providers are welcome to try it out for professional development purposes or potential referrals.
Project completion is scheduled for September 2022.
**This project is made possible through financial support of the City of Calgary. We gratefully acknowledge the Calgary Drop-In & Rehab Centre Society as a long-standing Rent Smart Partner & Regional Champion.
Rent Smart Education and Support Society was approached by the Nunavut Housing Corporation to develop a customized tenant education program in partnership with Ilitaqsiniq-Nunavut Literacy Council.
This program is grounded in Inuit Societal Values and takes into consideration the unique factors related to tenancy in the Nunavut Territory.
The materials will be available in both Inuktitut and English.
Scheduled to Launch in 2022.
A NEW RentSmart Workshop
RTA
The Rent Smart Education + Support Society’s (RSESS) BC Residential Tenancy Act (RTA) pilot in 2020-21 provided training to 92 non-profit housing provider and community support staff throughout BC to build the affordable housing sector’s understanding of how to apply the RTA legislation in their roles.
Over several months, we implemented a pilot workshop, developed in partnership with TRAC and BCNPHA, with financial support from the Vancouver Foundation.
In an online, 3 session, facilitator-led course*, we covered these topics:
- Scope of the law
- Requirements of a tenancy
- Roommate, assignment and sublet situations
- Rights and responsibilities
- Evictions and the process involved in dispute resolution with the Residential Tenancy Branch
*Included 1.5 hours of independent self-study.
Understanding the complexities of tenancy law can feel daunting, however, even a basic level of familiarity can make a big difference. Whether you work for a housing provider or community organization, knowledge of the RTA and available resources can increase your day-to-day capacity to help tenants and clients avoid common pitfalls, resolve tensions, and stay housed.
“I feel like I am more capable of educating tenants about their rights and responsibilities & respond more effectively to issues that come up.” – Rent Smart RTA Course Participant
This training has been a much-needed addition to the RSESS training tool kit.
To ensure our efforts and quality of education remain at the highest level, we worked with a third-party to evaluate and compile an Executive Summary of the RTA program.
*Available soon. We are currently at capacity with this service.
Want to learn more?
Custom Curriculum
Fee for service or joint grant applications
Rent Smart’s tenant education curriculum was developed to meet as broad an audience as possible however we recognize that some folks or organizations would benefit from a customized approach.
Rent Smart is offering a limited number (based on our capacity) of customized tenant education programs to meet a variety of needs. We will explore funding options with you and work together with you to develop a curriculum that reflects your organizations needs so you can better meet the needs of tenants.
The customized curriculum packages may be tied into the broader Rent Smart system or be independent stand-alone programs.
#211-611 Discovery Street
Victoria, BC V8T 5G4