A significant finding in a report examining landlord and tenant relations in Red Deer is that some citizens are unable to advocate on their own behalf.
City council will examine the report, prepared by Broadview Applied Research Group, during its regular meeting on Monday.
City administration recommends that council receive the report — An Evaluation of Landlord and Tenant Services in Red Deer — for information.
The report, which in part examined a cancelled program that supported landlords and tenants, found that the service reductions most impacted people with physical and mental challenges.
Language, literacy, mental health, addiction or brain injury barriers were factors considered by Raymond Downie, the president of Broadview.
“While landlord and tenant issues provide one example where support is required, there are many circumstances that pose challenges for citizens with such barriers,” the report said.
A pilot program undertaken by the Central Alberta Community Legal Clinic found that “one half of the 114 clients who sought assistance for landlord and tenant issues required help beyond the initial contact as they were unable to advocate for themselves,” the report said.
For 12 years, the nonprofit Community Information and Referral Society ran the program using municipal dollars.
The city opted to terminate funding because the province provides a similar service through Service Alberta’s toll-free Consumer Contact Centre.
The local program ended on Dec. 31, 2010, and had been operational for 28 years.
The report found the provincial toll-free program appeared to be inadequate in meeting the needs of citizens with barriers. Face-to-face supports are most effective for these citizens, the report added.
The report says although local programs and services exist in Red Deer, people staffing those programs may lack specific knowledge in areas of landlord and tenant matters.
Provincial programs meet the needs of most citizens but face-to-face programs appear to be necessary to support people with barriers, the report said.
jwilson@www.reddeeradvocate.com