April 17, 2020

First and foremost, we hope you are staying safe and healthy, and would again like to thank everyone for doing their part as we all continue to wash our hands and stay home as much as possible. The most critical thing we can do to get through this pandemic safely is to persist in following the guidelines of government health authorities. We will get through this together.

Office Updates

• The Brightside office remains closed, but staff continue to manage business operations remotely. We want to hear from you, so please continue to communicate with us via email at info@brightsidehomes.ca or by leaving a voicemail at 604-684-3515. We continue to receive high call volumes and thank you for your patience while we work hard to return everyone’s emails/calls in a timely fashion.

• If you do not have access to the internet or a telephone and wish to communicate with Brightside, please drop us a note in the building manager’s drop-box located in the lobby of your building. The drop-boxes are emptied weekly, and we will do our best to respond to your inquiry as soon as possible.

Rent

• As you may have seen in previous briefs, Brightside asked residents to communicate extraordinary hardships they may be experiencing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In light of the feedback we received, we have developed a Brightside Rent Relief Plan. Details and an FAQ about this plan can be found HERE.

• We also want to remind residents that the moratorium on evictions will remain in place as we cope with the pandemic. Residents are still required to pay their rent, however, and while no notices to end tenancy will be served at this time, all unpaid rent will remain owing until paid in full.

Operations

• Note that while Brightside staff continue to work hard to ensure emergency repair requests are completed as soon as possible, all repairs are subject to contractor availability and you may experience some delays in completion of repairs.

• PLEASE DO NOT FLUSH WIPES or ANY items other than bathroom tissue.

• As many residents self-isolate, this means more people will remain inside their units for most of the day. For some, this may result in higher noise and movement activity noticed by their neighbors. We urge all residents in the Brightside community to be understanding and considerate of their neighbours under these circumstances. We also ask that you bear in mind that processing times are currently longer than normal before submitting a complaint. We thank you for your patience at this time.

• Residents are once again asked to remain vigilant and report acts of vandalism or suspicious activity to police.

Redevelopment & Resident Relocation

• As you are aware, Brightside has proposed to redevelop five of our buildings – Alice Saunders (2924 Venables Street), Loyal Orange (1425 E 12th Avenue), Edward Byers (1451 E 12th Avenue), MacLeod Manor (8725 French Street), and Mount Pleasant (325 E 6th Avenue). During the COVID-19 pandemic, our efforts to improve and expand these communities will continue, although timelines may alter slightly due to changes at the City of Vancouver. We will still be working closely with staff at the City of Vancouver to refine our redevelopment proposals. However, in light of the current public health recommendations, the in-person services offered by Brightside’s Relocation Team have been temporarily paused. We’d like to assure you that our Relocation services will resume as soon as possible, and this pause in services will not jeopardize the relocation of residents living in the buildings under redevelopment.

If you are experiencing extraordinary hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we invite you to contact our office by phone or by email. At this time, there are community and local supports that are becoming available. Note that while we may not have an immediate solution to your concern, this is an ongoing effort to better understand how our residents are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are exploring ways we may be able to help. You can contact us by email at info@brightsidehomes.ca, or leaving a voicemail at 604-684-3515.

Once again, we request residents that are confirmed to have COVID-19 to inform Brightside immediately. Your privacy is of paramount importance to Brightside and this information will be taken in confidence to help ensure protective measures are taken.

*If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, you should contact 8-1-1 to get medical advice, or call 9-1-1 if you require immediate medical treatment.

Some residents have expressed interest in receiving these COVID-19 Briefs via email. If you would like to receive a digital copy of these briefings, please send us an email at info@brightsidehomes.ca and we will include you in the next email distribution.

Practice social distancing, wash your hands often, and stay safe.