Angie Mossa didnB次元官网网址檛 foresee homelessness in her future this time last year.

Mossa, a community support worker in Duncan, and her two young daughters were happily living in the same four-bedroom home in Crofton they had for six years when she got the call.

Her landlord notified her in January that he was selling the house and she had two months to find another location to live.

Mossa was paying $1,000 a month for her rented house, what she had been paying since she first moved in. She thought at the time she would have little trouble finding another place to live. But her search proved fruitless.

On April 1, Mossa and her children B次元官网网址� an 11-year-old and a four-year-old that has special needs B次元官网网址� were forced to move into a RV camping trailer on a friendB次元官网网址檚 property in Maple Bay.

B次元官网网址淚 had no idea that finding an affordable place to rent in the area had become so difficult,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚 looked at the small number of available rental units with at least three bedrooms from the Malahat to Nanaimo and the rents ranged from $1,600 to $2,300 a month. What makes it even harder is that I have a therapy dog for my four year-old with special needs and many landlords donB次元官网网址檛 want pets.B次元官网网址�

Mossa said she makes approximately $30,000 a year at her job. She considers that a decent wage, but the rent and utilities at her Crofton home still took up to 75 per cent of her salary. That was tough enough, but the skyrocketing rents in the region make the situation even worse.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e always lived a very stable life with a great upbringing, a career and babies so this is very upsetting to me,B次元官网网址� she said through tears. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e now living in my momB次元官网网址檚 cramped RV where my kids donB次元官网网址檛 have their own bedrooms or space. IB次元官网网址檝e been telling my children that weB次元官网网址檙e just camping for awhile and they seem okay with that for now. I keep looking every day for a place for me and my daughters to live, and I intend to keep looking, but this is affecting me a lot.B次元官网网址�

The situation is hardly unique to MossaB次元官网网址檚 part of the Island.

In December, Black Press talked to Sooke construction worker Andrew Tyrrell, who was B次元官网网址� along with his girlfriend, three children and two dogs B次元官网网址� in his friendB次元官网网址檚 yard, because they were unable to find anywhere else to rent, a situation his boss said is not uncommon in the industry.

Meanwhile, in Victoria, the rental crunch was forcing about sleeping in cars.

Terri Mattin, executive director of the Cowichan Housing Association, said Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation statistics indicate a 6.9 per cent decrease in rental vacancies across Canada in the past four years. An increase in housing prices due to increased demand has led to upward pressures on the rental markets.

According to a release from the CMHC, population growth, especially among the 20-34 and 65+ groups, contributed to stronger demands in B.C. as young adults and seniors have a higher tendency to rent.

B次元官网网址淚n addition, migration has likely played a role in maintaining low vacancy rates province-wide, as net migration accounted for almost 90 per cent of total population growth during 2016,B次元官网网址� the release read.

Mattin said that between the 1950s and the 1970s, incentives were in place to encourage developers to build affordable housing projects, but investment in these projects has decreased considerably since the 1980s.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e just not seeing the stock of available affordable housing units available like we used to, and the demand for these units has been steadily increasing over their supply,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 been determined that 750 affordable housing units are currently needed in the Cowichan Valley alone to keep up with demand, and itB次元官网网址檚 been estimated that we will need an additional 1,000 units on top of that by 2021. Communities across B.C and Canada are facing the same challenges.B次元官网网址�

Statistics Canada benchmarks housing affordable housing as costing 30 per cent of a personB次元官网网址檚 income or less. It reported last year that nearly a quarter of Canadians spent more.

The housing situation in B.C. right now sees an estimated 7,000 people living on the streets and a need for more than 100,000 units of market housing to compensate for 25 years of missing government investment in social housing.

A statement from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing on the issue acknowledges that B.C.B次元官网网址檚 ongoing housing crisis is hurting people, businesses and communities. It says solving the housing crisis wonB次元官网网址檛 be easy, and British Columbians need to work together to create affordable homes for people as quickly as possible.

B次元官网网址淭hrough our 30-point plan, Homes for BC, our government is making the biggest commitment to housing in our provinceB次元官网网址檚 history to help build homes for people, create local jobs and open up economic development in communities,B次元官网网址� the ministry statement said.

B次元官网网址淲e are investing more than $7 billion over 10 years for the kind of homes and supports people need, in every corner of the province B次元官网网址� urban, suburban, and rural. Just last week, we sent out a proposal call to municipalities, non-profits and co-operative housing societies to throughout B.C.B次元官网网址�

The ministry statement also said the government is expanding eligibility and increasing rental assistance benefits for low-income seniors and working families.

B次元官网网址淭his will help families and seniors stay in their homes and their communities,B次元官网网址� the statement reads. B次元官网网址淭hese enhancements will benefit 35,000 households, including 3,200 newly eligible families and seniors. Effective Sept. 2018, on average, seniors will receive an extra $930 per year, and the increase for families will be about $800 more a year.B次元官网网址�

The federal government also has recently announced a national housing strategy that has committed $40 billion over 10 years and aims to build 100,000 housing units across the country.

Mattin said individual communities must also step up to the plate to determine its own housing needs, develop a plan to deal with them and be prepared to take advantage of funding opportunities from senior levels of government when they become available.

B次元官网网址淲e didnB次元官网网址檛 get into this situation overnight and, in the meantime, people are suffering,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲e all want to see people housed as soon as possible, but thereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of work to be done.B次元官网网址�

WhatB次元官网网址檚 situation in your region?

The Canadian Rental Housing Index provides a detailed analysis of the affordability and suitability of rental housing for various income groups in more than 800 municipalities and regions. Here are some of the statistics for Vancouver Island for 2016-17.

Victoria

B次元官网网址� Percentage of households that rent- 34

B次元官网网址� Average amount of rent and utilities- $985

B次元官网网址� Average percentage of income spent on rent and utilities- 25

B次元官网网址� Percentage of renters spending more than 30 per cent- 47

B次元官网网址� Rental demand forecast- 4028 new rental units required by 2021

Cowichan Valley:

B次元官网网址� Percentage of households that rent-18

B次元官网网址� Average amount of rent and utilities- $853

B次元官网网址� Average percentage of income spent on rent and utilities- 26

B次元官网网址� Percentage of renters spending more than 30 per cent- 52

B次元官网网址� Rental demand forecast- 1092 new rental units required by 2021

Nanaimo

B次元官网网址� Percentage of households that rent- 22

B次元官网网址� Average amount of rent and utilities- $900

B次元官网网址� Average percentage of income spent on rent and utilities- 26

B次元官网网址� Percentage of renters spending more than 30 per cent- 53

B次元官网网址� Rental demand forecast- 2,771 new rental units required by 2021

Alberni-Clayoquot

B次元官网网址� Percentage of households that rent- 27

B次元官网网址� Average amount of rent and utilities- $717

B次元官网网址� Average percentage of income spent on rent and utilities-23

B次元官网网址� Percentage of renters spending more than 30 per cent- 47

B次元官网网址� Rental demand forecast- 0 new rental units required by 2021

Comox Valley

B次元官网网址� Percentage of households that rent- 21

B次元官网网址� Average amount of rent and utilities- $871

B次元官网网址� Average percentage of income spent on rent and utilities- 24

B次元官网网址� Percentage of renters spending more than 30 per cent- 52

B次元官网网址� Rental demand forecast- 6,898 new rental units required by 2021

B.C.

B次元官网网址� Percentage of households that rent- 29

B次元官网网址� Average amount of rent and utilities- $988

B次元官网网址� Average percentage of income spent on rent and utilities- 24

B次元官网网址� Percentage of renters spending more than 30 per cent- 45

Canada

B次元官网网址� Percentage of households that rent- 30

B次元官网网址� Average amount of rent and utilities- $848

B次元官网网址� Average percentage of income spent on rent and utilities- 22

B次元官网网址� Percentage of renters spending more than 30 per cent- 40