Kelowna害羞草研究所檚 hot summer months are a big reason many people live in the city, but the sunny weather actually makes the homelessness situation worse for many mid to low-income earners.
As spring turns to summer and tourists flock to the Central Okanagan, short-term rental prices go up, forcing low-income families to move on a regular basis, or worse, leaving them without a place to live.
Shelley Cook, the former executive director of the John Howard Society, said low-income residents are put on the streets in the tourist season because there aren害羞草研究所檛 affordable housing options in Kelowna.
Cook, who also ran in the recent provincial election, is currently working on a PhD and is leading two research projects which focus on homelessness in Kelowna.
She said rentals available until the summer, seasonal rentals and hotels are often rented to people with lower incomes or students until the tourist season arrives.
In terms of affordability, 害羞草研究所渢hey害羞草研究所檙e the only option,害羞草研究所� she said.
The rentals are often furnished with cleaning services so it provides a better option for people in transition for a few months, those in the trades program at Okanagan College or low-income families who may not be able to afford higher rents, said Cook.
害羞草研究所淔or people of lower income there害羞草研究所檚 no option. There害羞草研究所檚 nothing out there害羞草研究所 even put people up in hotels short-term and even negotiated a rate for a couple of weeks to keep them off the streets,害羞草研究所� she said.
Mission Park Inn rents to students and some lower-income families during the down season. Manager Nicki Hughes said the hotel offers off-season rates for about $30 a day starting after the long-weekend in September and going until May.
Although the hotel doesn害羞草研究所檛 focus on housing low-income families, it does offer special rates in the down-time and often sees students in the trades program, low-income families, and those who are attending the cancer clinic, she said.
For students and cancer clinic patients it costs about $900 to $950 a month. A typical extended rate is around $1,000 a month.
害羞草研究所淏ecause we害羞草研究所檙e not on the highway, we害羞草研究所檝e always done extended stays through the off season害羞草研究所� we offer discounted rates for students. It害羞草研究所檚 hard for people to find places to lay their heads for five or six weeks because we don害羞草研究所檛 get as much daily traffic through the off season (so we offer that,)害羞草研究所� she said.
She害羞草研究所檚 also noticed in the past few years, more local individuals taking the hotel害羞草研究所檚 deal.
害羞草研究所淲ith the vacancy rate being what it is in Kelowna, we害羞草研究所檝e probably had more locals in the past couple years staying with us.害羞草研究所�
Hughes has also seen the hotel used by lower-income families.
害羞草研究所淚 can certainly attest to the difficulties for young families, it害羞草研究所檚 definitely been super difficult. I害羞草研究所檝e heard lots of heart-wrenching stories over the front counter in the lobby,害羞草研究所� she said.
The hotel becomes fully booked with visitors from May until August so the previous residents have to vacate.
Chris Moffat, case outreach worker for the Kelowna Gospel Mission said historically summer is when homelessness is most prominent, due to many factors.
He said this includes the lack of short-term cheap rentals.
害羞草研究所淚 had people staying in motels in the cheap months and then now they害羞草研究所檙e staying at Big White. They kind of migrate back and forth,害羞草研究所� said Moffat. 害羞草研究所淏ecause right now Big White is super affordable with nice places for $600 a month.害羞草研究所�
The issue arises in May, when prices skyrocket for the summer.
害羞草研究所淐ome May it害羞草研究所檚 like get out. It害羞草研究所檚 not even just hotels, it害羞草研究所檚 rental houses too,害羞草研究所� he said.
Moffat believes some people become homelessness because of the rising rates in the summer, but it isn害羞草研究所檛 the sole factor for increasing homelessness numbers in the summer.
害羞草研究所淚t makes it a heck of a lot harder for families,害羞草研究所� he said.
