Colleen Frank is exhausted. Discouraged. Angry. Most of all, sheB次元官网网址檚 sad.
The 72-year-old from Chilliwack is facing eviction. At monthB次元官网网址檚 end she has to be out of her small apartment unit in the Westwind complex on Watson Road, and sheB次元官网网址檚 not sure where sheB次元官网网址檒l go.
B次元官网网址淭here is enough land in this country for everybody to be able to have a decent home,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淏ut thatB次元官网网址檚 not the case.B次元官网网址�
Frank canB次元官网网址檛 afford anything sheB次元官网网址檚 seen and sheB次元官网网址檚 terrified sheB次元官网网址檒l eventually end up on the streets.
She was told in March that she has to leave the building that sheB次元官网网址檚 lived in since July of 1999. She was informed by the buildingB次元官网网址檚 owner that a family member B次元官网网址渨as having issuesB次元官网网址� and would need to move into her unit.
Frank strongly suspects sheB次元官网网址檚 being B次元官网网址榬enovicted.B次元官网网址� ThatB次元官网网址檚 the thing where a building owner gets rid of existing renters, fixes up units and rents them out at a higher rate.
But itB次元官网网址檚 only a suspicion, one she canB次元官网网址檛 prove.
Frank was supposed to be out at the end of May, but she filed a tenancy dispute. The hearing is July 28 and if the judge rules against her, sheB次元官网网址檒l have to be gone July 29.
It is a familiar tale these days. With real estate skyrocketing, people canB次元官网网址檛 buy. With rent skyrocketing, people canB次元官网网址檛 rent.
If you canB次元官网网址檛 buy and you canB次元官网网址檛 rent, whatB次元官网网址檚 left?
For a senior like her, the financial considerations are huge. The Westwind strata was paying her to be the unofficial building manager, a job that covered her rent and no more.
B次元官网网址淚 have basically been referred to as the cleaning lady, caretaker, dorm mom, prison warden and FFM (free fake manager),B次元官网网址� she wrote in a letter to the Residential Tenancy Branch. B次元官网网址淚 have handled all emergencies, assisted with fire inspections, evacuations, maintenance calls and police matters for 20 years.B次元官网网址�
With that income soon to be gone, sheB次元官网网址檒l be left with Old Age Security and a small pension, adding up to a paltry $1,000 a month.
She canB次元官网网址檛 get the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIC), up to $995.99, that many low-income seniors receive.
Frank started to dip into her retirement savings in 2018, B次元官网网址渏ust to survive,B次元官网网址� and the money she took out is classified as a B次元官网网址榟ardship payment.B次元官网网址� ItB次元官网网址檚 added to her income in 2022 even though she earned it decades ago, making her ineligible for GIC, and sheB次元官网网址檚 taxed on it the following spring.
She is well below the 2022 basic standard of living Canada, set around $18,000.
B次元官网网址淵ou cannot rent, eat, have phone and cable, transportation and prescriptions on $1,000 a month,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not possible.B次元官网网址�
FrankB次元官网网址檚 been collecting letters of support from fellow tenants in recent weeks.
B次元官网网址淩esidents will suffer because thereB次元官网网址檚 no way that we will find someone who will put the level of care into this place like Colleen does,B次元官网网址� wrote Kate McGladdery.
A little girl in the building added this thought.
B次元官网网址淚 really like Colleen and she has to stay here. DonB次元官网网址檛 be mean!B次元官网网址�
Frank has talked to politicians and resource workers, anyone she can think of who might be able to help. All of them mean well, but she finds herself in a never-ending circle of referrals. Person A refers her to person B who refers her to person C who refers her to person A.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e had hundreds and hundreds of phone calls and talked to everyone there is to talk to, and I just get referred back to people IB次元官网网址檝e already talked to,B次元官网网址� Frank said. B次元官网网址淣obody answers the phone. EverybodyB次元官网网址檚 on holidays. They say theyB次元官网网址檒l get back to you and they donB次元官网网址檛.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 exhausting, and IB次元官网网址檓 tired.B次元官网网址�
The Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters (SAFER) program would be an option if it didnB次元官网网址檛 require a signed rental agreement as a condition to qualify. Frank canB次元官网网址檛 find a place she can afford, so she canB次元官网网址檛 sign a rental agreement and she canB次元官网网址檛 quality.
One resource worker suggested her only hope was to get someone to start a GoFundMe on her behalf, so she would at least have money to help her land on her feet.
And thatB次元官网网址檚 what itB次元官网网址檚 come to, a senior forced to resort to online begging to survive.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 not the type of person who asks for help,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 usually the one giving the help. IB次元官网网址檓 not one to beg and IB次元官网网址檝e never been one to sit on my duff, so this is hard. ItB次元官网网址檚 very hard. I try to be positive, but itB次元官网网址檚 not easy and I donB次元官网网址檛 think IB次元官网网址檝e had a good sleep since the fall of 2021.
B次元官网网址淏ut IB次元官网网址檝e always said that youB次元官网网址檝e got to find at least one thing a day to smile and laugh at. ThatB次元官网网址檚 what IB次元官网网址檓 trying to do.B次元官网网址�
FranksB次元官网网址� GoFundMe is at .
eric.welsh@hopestandard.com
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