A 69-year-old Kelowna man who had been living at the Walnut Grove Motel is now staying at a local shelter, having come up short in his search for affordable housing.

Michael Sieux, like other motel residents who had been displaced by a July 8 fire that took out two condo buildings and 10 motel units, has run out of Canadian Red Cross emergency housing funds. That meant on Wednesday he had to check out of the hotel he香蕉视频直播檇 been staying in and was officially homeless.

It was not for lack of trying. He tirelessly looked for a new home in the price range of $850 and found nothing. His monthly rent at the hotel that香蕉视频直播檚 been home for 13 years was under $600香蕉视频直播攊t was affordable on his monthly pension of $1,350.

Kerry Flynn, a friend of Sieux香蕉视频直播檚 and another resident at Walnut Grove, has been helping with the search, and he香蕉视频直播檚 the one fielding incoming calls.

Flynn said that the Gospel Mission on Leon Avenue was a last resort, but they made special accommodations for him when all other options ran out.

香蕉视频直播淚 have been taking him around the city for 10 days and we found nothing until yesterday. There was a rooming house that was run by a young couple and we talked to them and heard there was a room there that will be available shortly,香蕉视频直播� Flynn said.

Sieux was relieved to hear he香蕉视频直播檇 found a place and was ready with a deposit, but in a matter of hours he learned the couple had changed their minds, saying they preferred instead to rent to students, not seniors.

Then they spoke to someone at the Canadian Red Cross who recommend that they go to the Gospel Mission to get a counsellor to get emergency housing through the hospital.

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They learned quickly that was only available to seniors with dementia and once again Sieux was out of options.

In the end, the Gospel Mission made some room for him above the dining hall in the prayer room.

香蕉视频直播淩ather than have him go in with the normal crowd in a packed dormitory, they will let him stay in the prayer room for a little while,香蕉视频直播� said Flynn.

Sieux, who doesn香蕉视频直播檛 have a mobile phone, had yet to be reached at the time of this article, but Terra LeClaire, his caseworker at the mission, said he香蕉视频直播檒l be at the shelter until they can find something else.

The trouble, she said, is that wait-lists for any seniors in Kelowna is a minimum of two years.

For Flynn, his friend香蕉视频直播檚 story hits all too close to home.

香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 no place else to live. We are extremely lucky because of (the motel owner),香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淲e have beautiful neighbours, who live in a lovely area. It香蕉视频直播檚 probably one of the very few modestly placed rentals in Kelowna. We香蕉视频直播檙e fortunate to be here and I know one day it will end, but sadly it ended much too soon for people on that side.香蕉视频直播�

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The cost of rentals in this city have skyrocketed in recent years. According to the most recent figures provided by the website Padmapper, this July Kelowna ranked as the eighth most expensive rental market in the nation with the prices of one and two bedroom units settling at medians of $1,050 and $1,620, respectively.

The real shift in the market happened with two bedrooms suites. They香蕉视频直播檙e up in price by 15.7 per cent.

Current rental costs are shocking to Coun. Luke Stack, who香蕉视频直播檚 also the executive director of the Society of Hope.

For 28 years the society has created 630 affordable housing units aimed at helping low income seniors, families and women who are in transition.

These days the demand is far outpacing the supply and the Society of Hope went so far as to stop accepting applications for July and August, with plans to get back to resuming them again in September.

香蕉视频直播淭he number of applicants coming to our door is 30-a-week and we only placed 20 this year,香蕉视频直播� said Stack.

香蕉视频直播淲hen people ask, 香蕉视频直播榃hen can I get something? How long it will be?香蕉视频直播� I really don香蕉视频直播檛 have an answer for that,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淭here are so many applicants and so few units.香蕉视频直播�

An area where Stack sees great pressure is for senior housing. Of the 630 units the Society of Hope created, 388 are for seniors. As of Thursday, 300 applications on his desk were for seniors香蕉视频直播� housing.

The need he said, is 香蕉视频直播渆xtremely high香蕉视频直播� and getting more intense as the population ages and more people move to the area.

香蕉视频直播淚 look at the prices already, and think 香蕉视频直播榟ow could it be so much?香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈�� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 shocking.香蕉视频直播�

He香蕉视频直播檚 hoping several city-led initiatives will lessen the strain on the market.

香蕉视频直播淥ne of the things we have in the works at city council is tax incentives for purpose built rental housing,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淭hat has been successful and we have approximately 1,500 rentals under construction. I香蕉视频直播檓 optimistic that when those come along it may give us some relief.香蕉视频直播�

BC housing is also working on eight different non-profit housing projects in the area and the city has launched its Journey Home Housing strategy, to help people who are homeless.

None of these things alone are going to solve the problem, said Stack, though he香蕉视频直播檚 optimistic.

香蕉视频直播淭here are market pressures I don香蕉视频直播檛 think you can solve,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 the same here as it is in Vancouver. How do you get the pricing in Vancouver down? It香蕉视频直播檚 a massive problem that nobody can solve. For anybody who has been trying to create affordable housing and working tirelessly, it香蕉视频直播檚 a little hard.香蕉视频直播�