Never did I expect the day to come when I might not be able to afford a place to live. Fortunately I still have a home, but the future is uncertain.
The big one — I’m now 71 years old. Rural living has plenty of perks, lots of room, excellent views and fresh air at a good price. But someday I’ll need a larger community, to be closer to friends, no wood chopping and more access to amenities and health care.
It’s startling to discover that within the Okanagan Valley and beyond there’s little realistic opportunity for a move in the next few years.
After only five years in the valley, the rents and real estate costs in my nearest community, Penticton, have skyrocketed. The rental vacancy rate is currently less than one per cent. One bedroom rental can be $1,000 a month and up, and the average home sells for over $440,000. Even mobile and manufactured home prices have noticeably increased, with pad rents as high as $600 a month.
It’s shocking to realize that accommodation options are extremely limited for folks who are either retired, relying on government pensions or earning the area median income said to be about $2,100 a month.
Even more shocking is the awareness that people I know are now trying to survive in sub-standard suites or compelled to seek a home far from friends and familiar surroundings.
One friend had her eye on an inexpensive mobile home in a Cache Creek park. Alas the wildfires of last summer destroyed the park, leaving those residents scrambling for accommodation. Meanwhile some mobile home residents in Penticton are facing eviction this October. Their park has been purchased for market-priced condo development.
Another acquaintance, a working single mother, has a daily commute from the Keremeos area to work in Penticton. Even at that she has had to move back home with her parents to manage financially.
Co-housing and tiny homes are an on-going discussion and one person would be happy to camp out in the summer if there was a safe place to do so.
Sadly some inexpensive options like tiny homes need a site for set-up. With land prices spiraling upward, there are few locations with appropriate zoning within a manageable price range.
Perhaps we can try an option that Vancouverites are exploring, such as renting a large home and co-sharing the costs. Even this is short-circuited by limited rentals.
Of course, the hardcore argument may be that we should have planned more carefully for our future. Unfortunately there are no guarantees, no matter what plans we make — although my mother did warn me that I couldn’t count on an artist’s income. Fortunately I’ve done OK, but that still doesn’t make much room for a move in this accommodation hothouse.
We’re all open to ideas, individually and collectively. No one wants to be homeless.
Dianne Bersea
Kaleden