Colleen Frank is exhausted. Discouraged. Angry. Most of all, she91裸聊视频檚 sad.
The 72-year-old from Chilliwack is facing eviction. At month91裸聊视频檚 end she has to be out of her small apartment unit in the Westwind complex on Watson Road, and she91裸聊视频檚 not sure where she91裸聊视频檒l go.
91裸聊视频淭here is enough land in this country for everybody to be able to have a decent home,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淏ut that91裸聊视频檚 not the case.91裸聊视频�
Frank can91裸聊视频檛 afford anything she91裸聊视频檚 seen and she91裸聊视频檚 terrified she91裸聊视频檒l eventually end up on the streets.
She was told in March that she has to leave the building that she91裸聊视频檚 lived in since July of 1999. She was informed by the building91裸聊视频檚 owner that a family member 91裸聊视频渨as having issues91裸聊视频� and would need to move into her unit.
Frank strongly suspects she91裸聊视频檚 being 91裸聊视频榬enovicted.91裸聊视频� That91裸聊视频檚 the thing where a building owner gets rid of existing renters, fixes up units and rents them out at a higher rate.
But it91裸聊视频檚 only a suspicion, one she can91裸聊视频檛 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, she91裸聊视频檒l have to be gone July 29.
It is a familiar tale these days. With real estate skyrocketing, people can91裸聊视频檛 buy. With rent skyrocketing, people can91裸聊视频檛 rent.
If you can91裸聊视频檛 buy and you can91裸聊视频檛 rent, what91裸聊视频檚 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.
91裸聊视频淚 have basically been referred to as the cleaning lady, caretaker, dorm mom, prison warden and FFM (free fake manager),91裸聊视频� she wrote in a letter to the Residential Tenancy Branch. 91裸聊视频淚 have handled all emergencies, assisted with fire inspections, evacuations, maintenance calls and police matters for 20 years.91裸聊视频�
With that income soon to be gone, she91裸聊视频檒l be left with Old Age Security and a small pension, adding up to a paltry $1,000 a month.
She can91裸聊视频檛 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, 91裸聊视频渏ust to survive,91裸聊视频� and the money she took out is classified as a 91裸聊视频榟ardship payment.91裸聊视频� It91裸聊视频檚 added to her income in 2022 even though she earned it decades ago, making her ineligible for GIC, and she91裸聊视频檚 taxed on it the following spring.
She is well below the 2022 basic standard of living Canada, set around $18,000.
91裸聊视频淵ou cannot rent, eat, have phone and cable, transportation and prescriptions on $1,000 a month,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 not possible.91裸聊视频�
Frank91裸聊视频檚 been collecting letters of support from fellow tenants in recent weeks.
91裸聊视频淩esidents will suffer because there91裸聊视频檚 no way that we will find someone who will put the level of care into this place like Colleen does,91裸聊视频� wrote Kate McGladdery.
A little girl in the building added this thought.
91裸聊视频淚 really like Colleen and she has to stay here. Don91裸聊视频檛 be mean!91裸聊视频�
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.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝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 I91裸聊视频檝e already talked to,91裸聊视频� Frank said. 91裸聊视频淣obody answers the phone. Everybody91裸聊视频檚 on holidays. They say they91裸聊视频檒l get back to you and they don91裸聊视频檛.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 exhausting, and I91裸聊视频檓 tired.91裸聊视频�
The Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters (SAFER) program would be an option if it didn91裸聊视频檛 require a signed rental agreement as a condition to qualify. Frank can91裸聊视频檛 find a place she can afford, so she can91裸聊视频檛 sign a rental agreement and she can91裸聊视频檛 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 that91裸聊视频檚 what it91裸聊视频檚 come to, a senior forced to resort to online begging to survive.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 not the type of person who asks for help,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 usually the one giving the help. I91裸聊视频檓 not one to beg and I91裸聊视频檝e never been one to sit on my duff, so this is hard. It91裸聊视频檚 very hard. I try to be positive, but it91裸聊视频檚 not easy and I don91裸聊视频檛 think I91裸聊视频檝e had a good sleep since the fall of 2021.
91裸聊视频淏ut I91裸聊视频檝e always said that you91裸聊视频檝e got to find at least one thing a day to smile and laugh at. That91裸聊视频檚 what I91裸聊视频檓 trying to do.91裸聊视频�
Franks91裸聊视频� GoFundMe is at .
eric.welsh@hopestandard.com
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