Lucy Maloney On The Renters Office, First Month On Vancouver City Council

Lucy Maloney began serving on Vancouver City Council in mid‑April 2025, after winning nearly 34,000 votes in a by‑election to fill a seat recently vacated by Christine Boyle. A lifelong renter and housing advocate, Maloney ran as OneCity Vancouver’s candidate and quickly made housing her top focus as a new councillor.

In her first month, Maloney introduced a motion calling for exploration into reinstating the city’s Renters Office, which had been closed in 2023. That office once provided critical support to renters, including help understanding their rights, access to resources, and coordination with other city services. Maloney’s motion aimed simply to ask staff to study the idea—at very low cost—a step she saw as balanced and necessary.

Maloney pressed her case by drawing on conversations she held with renters during her campaign. She knocked on doors in apartment buildings and spoke to hundreds of tenants, often hearing about fears of eviction, unaffordable rents, and uncertainty about basic legal rights. The stories stuck with her. One West End tenant of fifteen years described the constant stress of possibly losing a long‑term home, even as renovations loomed.

Despite broad public concern, the motion was defeated in a tie vote, meaning city council refused even to study bringing the office back. Maloney expressed surprise and disappointment, arguing that council’s refusal reflected a deeper pattern. She noted that ABC Vancouver—the party holding council’s supermajority—has repeatedly declined to act on housing issues, even while affirming housing as a human right.

In that first month, Maloney also joined other councillors in introducing motions focused on housing affordability. While her own motion failed, a companion motion by her colleague Sean Orr to have BC municipalities support legislation declaring housing a human right was successful. These early actions show how she is shaping debate, even from opposition status.

On a personal level, Maloney described her transition into office as intense but rewarding. With a background in law, government and advocacy, she adapted quickly—even while adjusting to council rules and procedure. She says she felt welcomed and well‑supported by other councillors, and is already working on future motions related to mental health and increasing low‑and‑medium‑rise housing options in the city.