A couple living at the Pointe strata complex in West Kelowna are disappointed they aren’t allowed to temporarily home a 56-year-old single mother, who will find herself homeless this January.

Michal Jansa and his wife met the Indigenous woman through mutual friends, and came to learn that she had arrived in Kelowna to start over, following unforeseen life circumstances.

With enough space in the four-bedroom home they own to house her while she gets back on her feet, they extended the offer to stay. 

However, in the strata complex Jansa lives in, a maximum of two people are allowed in each home unless they are direct family members or full-time live-in help. 

The strata allowed her to stay for six months at first. Now that time is up, but Jansa wants the strata to grant flexibility based on hardship circumstances.

"We can’t be going by a rule that’s 22 years old that says in a 3000 sq ft, four-bedroom, three-bathroom, two-kitchen home only two people are allowed to live in it, so we have to change that but as rules take a while to change, and it costs money as I understand it from the strata, we’re asking the strata for leniency to give us a one-year extension.

“If it was their child that was in this predicament I’m sure they would be very grateful if somebody was able to take that child and give them a safe comfortable place to live in while they start their life again, and not force them onto the street.”

Despite just starting a job at the elementary school teaching Indigenous cultural studies, the single mother will likely end up living homeless, says Jansa.

He believes it is socially irresponsible and morally wrong for the strata to pursue her eviction, especially in a time when Kelowna is experiencing a homelessness crisis, and they have the ability to help.

“It’s causing many sleepless nights. We talk about it almost daily because she’s wondering where can I go… where can she go where she can afford the rent, so we’re enabling her to get her life settled, get a stable footing, so then she’s able to go out on her own and be a wonderful member of West Kelowna.

“We absolutely love her. She’s a great benefit to the community and we don’t want to see her go. We don’t want to force this hardship on this wonderful lady.”

Strata president Barry Robey says the rules were agreed to by the homeowners when they moved in summer of 2019, and that it is not the only housing complex with a similar operating system. 

“Extending it by six months was clearly a gesture on our part to help the homeowner, and he understood there would be no more extensions,” says Robey.