‘Living day by day’: Single mom, with two children, can’t find place to rent in Kelowna – Okanagan | 24CA News
The lack of reasonably priced housing in Kelowna has taken a significant toll on a single mother of two youngsters, considered one of whom has particular wants.
Marie, who requested Global News to not use her final title, is at the moment staying at a relative’s residence, cramped into one room together with her youngsters, ages 7 and 9.
“We’re sharing a bed and a room, ” Marie stated. “All three of us.”
The single mother is within the thick of the housing disaster after she misplaced her rental when the house was bought earlier this 12 months.
“Our landlord ended up having to go into palliative care,” Marie stated. “We got the notice in April and to be out in June.”
She and her youngsters spent the month of July with a buddy, then moved into the relative’s residence.
During that point, Marie stated she’s been searching for a three-bedroom house, however prices are out of attain.
“Anywhere from $2,700 to over $3,000,” stated Marie, who had to surrender her retail job just a few months in the past to offer extra take care of the seven-year-old.
For now, she’s on social help, but it surely’s not sufficient to safe a house.
“I applied to every single low-income housing there possibly was … every resource I could and nothing,” Marie stated.
One of the businesses she reached out to for assistance is the Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society, which stated the record of individuals needing reasonably priced housing is lengthy.
“We have people coming in every day pleading for help to try and find affordable housing,” stated Jo Mansell, the society’s outreach workforce lead.
“We apply for subsidized housing for people. but there’s a two-to-four-year wait list.”
Making the issue worse for Marie is that with no everlasting residence, her son can’t entry the assist he wants.
“I have behaviouralists come in. I’ve been approved for occupational therapists and I can’t have any of these people come into a home that isn’t my home,” Marie stated.
Leisa Howell is Ryder’s behaviouralist and is making an attempt to assist the household as greatest as potential.
“We’re all ready to go. He’s got his computer ready to go and we have nowhere to set up his little area, a little school for him,” stated Howell. “It’s heartbreaking.”
And regardless of Kelowna being some of the costly locations to reside in Canada, Marie stated leaving isn’t an choice proper now.
“I wish I could,” Marie stated. “But it took me years to build him the team that he has. I can’t just up and leave.”
Marie stated she spends day-after-day looking for a house and hopes one thing materializes sooner moderately than later.
“I’m living day by day,” she stated. “That’s all I can do.”
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