香蕉视频直播淣othing in life is permanent, not even our troubles.香蕉视频直播�

Christal McFadden keeps this quotation from Charlie Chaplin close at hand.

A single mom of four children, one who is in university, McFadden had to give up the home her family had lived in for five years because the owner needed a place for a family member to stay.

She searched and searched and searched for another home.

She checked out co-op housing but was told 香蕉视频直播淚 was too low-income to be in there.香蕉视频直播�

McFadden receives a disability cheque as well as a child benefit, bringing her total monthly income to about $2,000. She says she was told she would need $2,500 to live there.

香蕉视频直播淪o I香蕉视频直播檓 too low income to get into low income.香蕉视频直播�

She would like to see the people in three-bedroom units who have raised their kids move out to a one-bedroom, leaving the larger units for those with children.

Fiona Jackson, communications director with the Co-operative Housing Federation of BC, says some co-op housing receives a subsidy from the federal government, but it doesn香蕉视频直播檛 subsidize all the units like BC Housing can.

香蕉视频直播淭hey香蕉视频直播檙e mixed-income communities. A big chunk have to pay full market price.香蕉视频直播�

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McFadden looked at motels, but couldn香蕉视频直播檛 afford them. She went to a bank to see about buying a trailer.

However, her mortgage and pad rental would have been 51 per cent of her income, and the rule is 40 per cent, she says. She would have been paying about $1,000 a month for shelter and she had no co-signer.

Ironically, she is now paying $1,300 per month for the temporary rental she is now in. Even though it香蕉视频直播檚 a lot for her and was only available till June, she took it.

香蕉视频直播淲hen you香蕉视频直播檙e sitting there thinking you香蕉视频直播檙e going to be living in a hotel or a campground over the winter, you don香蕉视频直播檛 say no.香蕉视频直播�

Something of a go-getter, McFadden volunteers in order to help her girls participate in extra-curricular activities.

香蕉视频直播淚 go to the food bank, I use Jumpstart, I go to Second Harvest, because I have to pay $1,300 for rent. I do whatever is necessary to feed my kids.香蕉视频直播�

Her face colours with emotion as she talks about her children and the effects of the housing shortage.

香蕉视频直播淎 lot of stuff goes on as a parent. How is this going to affect them in six months to a year? Are they smiling because they know mommy is scared? Kids are smart.香蕉视频直播�

****

At a local campground sits a motorhome, a tent, a picnic table, a barbecue. Children bike down an adjacent lane, laughing.

At first glance, the Drain family香蕉视频直播檚 campsite looks like a typical family vacation spot.

Closer perusal reveals it香蕉视频直播檚 more than that. Outside, under an awning, sits a full-sized fridge and a microwave. Next to it is a wire-enclosed climbing area for two cats. A small storage shed by the picnic table is stuffed with belongings.

In reality, this campsite is evidence of the 香蕉视频直播榥early homeless香蕉视频直播� predicament that so many people in Salmon Arm and the Shuswap are facing.

The campground has been the family香蕉视频直播檚 home from May to October this year. The parents and two younger children sleep in the motorhome. Two teenage boys sleep in the tent.

With winter approaching and the campground closing, last month they moved into a temporary home where the $2,200 a month lease payment will eat up every spare dollar. They have signed a contract in order to stay there until mid-April, with no option to sublet.

Why? 香蕉视频直播淏ecause there香蕉视频直播檚 nothing else and my kids are going to freeze in the tent,香蕉视频直播� Rob says.

Then they will head back to a campsite that better meets their budget. If the campsite isn香蕉视频直播檛 available until May, they may have to find something, somewhere, for a few weeks to fill in the gap.

Both Rob Drain and his spouse Niki work. He commutes to Vernon to work as a kitchen designer at a cabinet shop while she has a permanent part-time position with Interior Health.

Although previous homeowners, the Drains were renting a house in Gleneden for a couple of years. They were planning to rent to own a property in Salmon Arm but the owner became ill and the property was sold.

Rob developed some credit issues and so, at this point, the couple will need two to three years of tax returns in order to get a mortgage. They found themselves going back to renting.

The couple began looking 香蕉视频直播� and looking.

香蕉视频直播淎 family of six, a working professional couple making a decent salary combined香蕉视频直播�, four children, two dogs, two cats. We found ourselves in this position where there was literally nothing,香蕉视频直播� says Rob.

On some of the threads online about housing, 香蕉视频直播測ou see dozens and dozens and upwards of hundreds of comments. The desperation is off the wall.香蕉视频直播�

He said his family was one of the lucky ones because they have a 30-foot motor home, about 10 years old.

Rob says it香蕉视频直播檚 risky to owe $2,200 a month just on accommodation.

香蕉视频直播淲hat happens if I get sick or my wife gets sick? How do you come up with $2,200?

香蕉视频直播淎nd how do you save? That香蕉视频直播檚 my biggest issue. How are people able to save money to buy a house when you have to pay so much to rent?香蕉视频直播�

He said during the rental search they香蕉视频直播檝e heard 香蕉视频直播渘o kids,香蕉视频直播� as well as 香蕉视频直播渘o pets.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淥ur oldest dog came from our oldest kid香蕉视频直播檚 dad who passed away. Our youngest kid got a dog for his birthday. What, I香蕉视频直播檓 supposed to give away my animals to get a place to rent?香蕉视频直播�

He points out one landlord said dog owners make the best tenants because they香蕉视频直播檙e scared they香蕉视频直播檒l lose the place and not find anything else if the pet misbehaves.

As for solutions, Rob would like to see longer-term mortgages 香蕉视频直播� a maximum 40 years rather than 25 香蕉视频直播� so payments could be smaller. He said that would benefit both homebuyers and developers building housing. If the developers pay less, so do their tenants.

****

Nicole Smith is an aboriginal support worker by profession, but she has been busy advocating for housing of late.

香蕉视频直播淭his has gone from a municipal problem to a federal problem and nobody seems to be addressing it,香蕉视频直播� she says.

She knows of 20 to 30 families who are moving between family members, RVs and tents.

香蕉视频直播淵ou see 40 or 50 people going after some dingy little apartment, offering more money so they can have some place to live香蕉视频直播� There are basement suites I wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 want my children walking into, let alone staying for $1,300.香蕉视频直播�

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She sees the extreme lack of housing as a silent problem.

香蕉视频直播淪o many people are ashamed and embarrassed. It香蕉视频直播檚 automatic, you香蕉视频直播檙e not working enough,香蕉视频直播� she says of others香蕉视频直播� reactions. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 time this was solved. So many people are silent because they香蕉视频直播檙e afraid.香蕉视频直播�

She says people are afraid of losing their children because they can香蕉视频直播檛 find adequate housing.

She, too, has seen places that won香蕉视频直播檛 take kids, or won香蕉视频直播檛 take pets.

香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 narrowing the market for them even more香蕉视频直播� There are so many barriers put in front of people on low income,香蕉视频直播� she says.

She knows Christal McFadden well.

香蕉视频直播淭o me, she is one of the greatest moms ever.香蕉视频直播�

Smith would like to see more compassion in the community.

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檝e always felt we were such a lovely small town that cared so much for each other. Right now I香蕉视频直播檓 not seeing it or feeling it and I香蕉视频直播檇 like to see and feel that again.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌�-

Organization receives constant phone calls for housing

香蕉视频直播淒esperate香蕉视频直播� is how Dawn Dunlop describes the housing situation in Salmon Arm.

Executive director of the Salmon Arm branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Dunlop oversees 150 units of affordable housing operated by CMHA and SILA, the Shuswap Independent Living Association.

香蕉视频直播淚 know that housing continues to still be desperate in this community. We get calls constantly from people looking for housing. We have a wait list for all our housing.香蕉视频直播�

Dunlop sits on the city香蕉视频直播檚 Social Impact Advisory Committee, which has made a recommendation that city council develop an affordable housing strategy.

On the provincial level, Dunlop says BC Housing has an open call for housing units right now, but it requires municipalities gifting or providing land. Then BC Housing will put modular houses on it and provide 24-7 support services for the hardest-to-house individuals.

Two thousand modular units are being built across B.C. Once a municipality provides the initial investment of land, BC Housing will provide support services and operate them.

香蕉视频直播淭he ongoing operating costs, the ongoing subsidy cost, staff support, BC Housing will fund on a move-forward basis,香蕉视频直播� Dunlop says, no

ting that cities are putting their submissions in and getting in queue.

香蕉视频直播淚 have been working with some developers, community members and the city about if there is an opportunity for this to happen but the city must give land for this to move forward.香蕉视频直播�

Mayor Nancy Cooper said at this time the city doesn香蕉视频直播檛 have any suitable property available, nothing close to a bus route, shopping and other amenities.

香蕉视频直播淐ertainly we have looked at properties in the city, but right now we don香蕉视频直播檛 have one. We have discussed it a number of times, but we will be discussing it again if a call has gone out.香蕉视频直播�

Dunlop said when a window opens for housing, it香蕉视频直播檚 important to be ready in order to be considered.

香蕉视频直播淗ow do we create an environment in the Shuswap that will encourage affordable housing development? How do we get ready? If we can香蕉视频直播檛 move forward with this call, how can we move forward when the next calls come?香蕉视频直播�

She says the need for affordable housing stretches across a continuum.

香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 very much a need for seniors housing, people with disabilities housing and also family housing.香蕉视频直播�

marthawickett@saobserver.net
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