Difficult being a senior

I'm an over-70 person who worked hard for years and years in Canada, and yes I get a pension. But the cost of living has risen by 4% and when the (rates) are increased for us pensioners, we get .0004% of a raise.

Over the last several years (since former Conservative leader Stephen Harper was our prime minister) the income for the elderly has gotten worse and worse and worse.

It makes me sick to see people like myself becoming homeless because there are no limits on how how much landlords can charge.

If they feel like it - they can also boot a person out and start an Airbnb to make more money.

I'm disgusted with the way we are treated.

If you want to live in your own home, I've just had to hire a woman who refuses to start until Oct. 21 to clean my home at $35/hour. I can't afford it but I also want to live in a clean home (as) I’m too crippled to clean it myself. I can't even vacuum my own home. I know electricians who make less money than $35 per hour.

I did work for a living and I contributed a lot to the economy of Canada but was told that I had my "hand out for free money.” Well, I paid into the CPP fund for more than 30 years.

But the elderly in Canada don't count. We’ve had our day. I made investments but they were stolen from by a fraudster at a financial institution here in the Okanagan. They can get away with their crime and now I'm again the one to pay.

Only families count now.

The elderly are told if you can't look after your own home, you belong in an old-age facility. Yup. I certainly want to live in one of those where people are left to drown in their own urine. No thank you!

(Those) facilities that are just a money-making operations for someone. They take all your income and leave you with between $100 and $200 per month to live on. Try going on a holiday with that. What an ugly system.

Kerry Kozak, Peachland