Rental help 'on the way'

Photo: Contributed

A series of Castanet stories on Kelowna’s rental crunch and homelessness have drawn hundreds of comments this week.

People have shared anecdotes about the struggle to find housing and, in some cases, the rapid fall toward sleeping on the streets.

Karen McKersie wrote that she shares a two-bedroom apartment with her two adult sons, with everyone in the house living paycheque to paycheque.

“My landlord even told me once if I don't have rent on the first, I can get out, there's a zero vacancy rate in town and he will have no problem renting my place!”

Carrie Watson has struggled to find an affordable rental after being forced out of her home. She has been staying in a motel that will no longer be available once summer arrives.

“I'm gearing up for homelessness, and I'm starting with my bitter attitude. Your pretentious campgrounds will not allow me to put an older trailer on their property… I'm going to stay around town – I have a child, for God's sake – but I will be the one without the home,” she wrote.

Karen Guy wrote that she was homeless for about 4 years, "I had a full time job at the Skogies on Underhill Rd. I slept in a tent on the railway tracks by Walmart. I always showed up on time and I worked hard for my 8 bucks an hour at the time."

"Sometimes you have more in common than you think with someone that you would usually dismiss. No matter who we are we are someone's child, we all have a story and we all can benefit from kindness and love," she continued.

Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran says the city is working hard to encourage developers to invest in rental properties. While the total supply grew by just 10 units last year, he expects that to change.

Rental housing grants and property tax exemptions have led to a small building boom of purpose-built rental housing, with 1,600 units either under construction or soon to be, according to Basran.

“So, while it may not be able to help the person looking today, we know that help is on the way and it's going to alleviate the pressure we are seeing continue to build.”

Basran said the city will continue to work with BC Housing on social housing and has supplied the land for two recently announced projects.

He is also looking forward to hearing more news on the federal government's national housing plan, due out next year.

“This is not a problem unique to Kelowna, so I’m really looking forward to hearing what the federal government strategy is going to be, because we alone as a municipality aren't going to be able to solve the problem. We need everybody working together.”