Winnipeg Humane Society pushing for more pet-inclusive housing

The Winnipeg Humane Society recently released a survey showing pet owners in the city are struggling to find pet-friendly living spaces.

If you’ve ever been unable to secure a rental because of your pets, you’re not alone.

According to a new Winnipeg Humane Society (WHS) survey, Manitobans with animals experience greater challenges finding pet-friendly rental housing.

The Humane Society says only 20 to 40 per cent of rental units in the province accepts pets, despite over 60 per cent of Canadian households owning them.

“You can see that that’s a large gap in terms of need for pet-inclusive housing and what exists,” said animal advocacy lawyer Krista Boryskavich.

Thirty-nine per cent of respondents said they were denied housing because of pets, and over 11 per cent said they ‘maybe’ were denied but are unable to prove it.

The survey notes affordable housing is a particularly challenging issue for pet owners, due to an array of factors - including less available inventory, overall.

“Even if people could find pet-inclusive housing, it wasn’t necessarily in the affordable housing category. We heard stories of some younger people who ended up having to go into accommodations that put them into debt for quite a few years because it was the only place they could find that took the pet,” said Boryskavich.

Twelve per cent of those surveyed said they had to surrender or rehome pets because they were unable to find housing that would accept them.

“We don’t want to have people having to make the choice of giving up a family member because they have to rent a home instead of own,” noted Boryskavich.

Almost 94 per cent of respondents said “there should be standardized rules for renters and landlords across Manitoba that would allow for pets within reasonable limits in lease agreements.”

WHS is now recommending that the province amend the Residential Tenancies Act.

“We’re looking for a ban on no-pet clauses and leases similar to what exists in Ontario. And then we’re also looking for the province to eliminate the pet deposit on affordable housing units, to reduce that financial barrier as well,” said Boryskavich.

WHS is also calling on the city to adopt a policy that requires all developers accessing municipal grants or tax credits for housing developments to dedicate a minimum of 50 per cent of the total housing units as pet friendly.

Boryskavich said the organization is hopeful about future meetings with government officials about the cause.

“We have had meetings with the province in the city to date. We have some more scheduled for the upcoming month, and certainly people are receptive to having that dialogue around how to address this issue. So you know, we are very optimistic that these legislative policy changes will occur,” she explained.

The online survey was conducted last summer with 313 respondents participating.