Colleen Frank is exhausted. Discouraged. Angry. Most of all, she香蕉视频直播檚 sad.
The 72-year-old from Chilliwack is facing eviction. At month香蕉视频直播檚 end she has to be out of her small apartment unit in the Westwind complex on Watson Road, and she香蕉视频直播檚 not sure where she香蕉视频直播檒l go.
香蕉视频直播淭here is enough land in this country for everybody to be able to have a decent home,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淏ut that香蕉视频直播檚 not the case.香蕉视频直播�
Frank can香蕉视频直播檛 afford anything she香蕉视频直播檚 seen and she香蕉视频直播檚 terrified she香蕉视频直播檒l eventually end up on the streets.
She was told in March that she has to leave the building that she香蕉视频直播檚 lived in since July of 1999. She was informed by the building香蕉视频直播檚 owner that a family member 香蕉视频直播渨as having issues香蕉视频直播� and would need to move into her unit.
Frank strongly suspects she香蕉视频直播檚 being 香蕉视频直播榬enovicted.香蕉视频直播� That香蕉视频直播檚 the thing where a building owner gets rid of existing renters, fixes up units and rents them out at a higher rate.
But it香蕉视频直播檚 only a suspicion, one she can香蕉视频直播檛 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, she香蕉视频直播檒l have to be gone July 29.
It is a familiar tale these days. With real estate skyrocketing, people can香蕉视频直播檛 buy. With rent skyrocketing, people can香蕉视频直播檛 rent.
If you can香蕉视频直播檛 buy and you can香蕉视频直播檛 rent, what香蕉视频直播檚 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.
香蕉视频直播淚 have basically been referred to as the cleaning lady, caretaker, dorm mom, prison warden and FFM (free fake manager),香蕉视频直播� she wrote in a letter to the Residential Tenancy Branch. 香蕉视频直播淚 have handled all emergencies, assisted with fire inspections, evacuations, maintenance calls and police matters for 20 years.香蕉视频直播�
With that income soon to be gone, she香蕉视频直播檒l be left with Old Age Security and a small pension, adding up to a paltry $1,000 a month.
She can香蕉视频直播檛 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, 香蕉视频直播渏ust to survive,香蕉视频直播� and the money she took out is classified as a 香蕉视频直播榟ardship payment.香蕉视频直播� It香蕉视频直播檚 added to her income in 2022 even though she earned it decades ago, making her ineligible for GIC, and she香蕉视频直播檚 taxed on it the following spring.
She is well below the 2022 basic standard of living Canada, set around $18,000.
香蕉视频直播淵ou cannot rent, eat, have phone and cable, transportation and prescriptions on $1,000 a month,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 not possible.香蕉视频直播�
Frank香蕉视频直播檚 been collecting letters of support from fellow tenants in recent weeks.
香蕉视频直播淩esidents will suffer because there香蕉视频直播檚 no way that we will find someone who will put the level of care into this place like Colleen does,香蕉视频直播� wrote Kate McGladdery.
A little girl in the building added this thought.
香蕉视频直播淚 really like Colleen and she has to stay here. Don香蕉视频直播檛 be mean!香蕉视频直播�
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.
香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檝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 I香蕉视频直播檝e already talked to,香蕉视频直播� Frank said. 香蕉视频直播淣obody answers the phone. Everybody香蕉视频直播檚 on holidays. They say they香蕉视频直播檒l get back to you and they don香蕉视频直播檛.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 exhausting, and I香蕉视频直播檓 tired.香蕉视频直播�
The Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters (SAFER) program would be an option if it didn香蕉视频直播檛 require a signed rental agreement as a condition to qualify. Frank can香蕉视频直播檛 find a place she can afford, so she can香蕉视频直播檛 sign a rental agreement and she can香蕉视频直播檛 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 that香蕉视频直播檚 what it香蕉视频直播檚 come to, a senior forced to resort to online begging to survive.
香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 not the type of person who asks for help,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 usually the one giving the help. I香蕉视频直播檓 not one to beg and I香蕉视频直播檝e never been one to sit on my duff, so this is hard. It香蕉视频直播檚 very hard. I try to be positive, but it香蕉视频直播檚 not easy and I don香蕉视频直播檛 think I香蕉视频直播檝e had a good sleep since the fall of 2021.
香蕉视频直播淏ut I香蕉视频直播檝e always said that you香蕉视频直播檝e got to find at least one thing a day to smile and laugh at. That香蕉视频直播檚 what I香蕉视频直播檓 trying to do.香蕉视频直播�
Franks香蕉视频直播� GoFundMe is at .
eric.welsh@hopestandard.com
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