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