害羞草研究所淧overty isn害羞草研究所檛 a lack of money, it害羞草研究所檚 a condition that once you害羞草研究所檙e in, it害羞草研究所檚 almost impossible to get out of,害羞草研究所� said Kerry Flynn, Thursday morning when I was interviewing him for my and their fruitless efforts to find new housing.

There害羞草研究所檚 a general rule in writing that you shouldn害羞草研究所檛 start stories with quotes, but that has been running through my head for the last few hours because of how much it resonates.

Flynn lives at the Walnut Grove motel and it害羞草研究所檚 an oasis of affordability in an otherwise exclusive rental market.

While he appreciates his address and the stability he害羞草研究所檚 found there, he害羞草研究所檚 well aware of the scrutiny he faces for it.

害羞草研究所淧eople look at us like we害羞草研究所檙e drug addicts and wonder, 害羞草研究所榟ow can you be so poor?害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 he said.

害羞草研究所淭here are a lot of things that happen to people that let you end up in poverty. There should be a place in society to allow poor people to live.害羞草研究所�

Flynn used to have a business, a wife and a house he owned, but all those things drifted away.

First went the marriage, and with it half the home. Then came health issues.

害羞草研究所淚 have Crohn害羞草研究所檚 disease and had to have a surgery, then when I was recovering, I had another doctor tell me I had cancer,害羞草研究所� he said.

Flynn took one hit after the other, and moved to Kelowna to be close to family for what he thought would be his final days. Even 10 years ago it was hard finding a rental, especially as a pet owner.

He went to a number of places, and at the end of the list was the Walnut Grove.

He met the owner and was welcome to move in with his cat.

It害羞草研究所檚 while living there he learned from a new doctor he would be allotted more treatments in B.C. and he lived.

His new lease on life, however, came with its pitfalls.

害羞草研究所淲hen my socioeconomic situation changed significantly people disappeared from my life,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚 think if people look at it the way it happened and thought, 害羞草研究所楪ee, that could happen to me害羞草研究所� that害羞草研究所檚 too terrifying to them. If they can blame you for being in your condition, and it害羞草研究所檚 your fault somehow, then they feel safer.害羞草研究所�

But, he pointed out a statistic often repeated at social agency meetings, most people are just a few pay cheques away from poverty.

害羞草研究所淚 used to pay $50,000 a year in taxes, and now I have people who make $50,000 a year look down their nose at me,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭hat bothers me.害羞草研究所�

Flynn害羞草研究所檚 candor is remarkable, but sadly his story isn害羞草研究所檛.

Poor people in this province are screwed. It害羞草研究所檚 not just a Kelowna problem.

This story can be heard in just about every well-populated city in B.C. and it害羞草研究所檚 shameful.

There害羞草研究所檚 loads of finger-pointing that can and has been done over the years.

B.C.害羞草研究所檚 provincial government, for example, once said it didn害羞草研究所檛 need an official plan to reduce poverty, focusing its efforts instead on job creation. It didn害羞草研究所檛 matter whether those jobs weren害羞草研究所檛 full time or if they didn害羞草研究所檛 pay a livable wage.

In the run-up to the election, the NDP said, if elected, it would boost wages, adopt $10-a-day child care, and create a poverty reduction plan.

害羞草研究所淲e are the only province that doesn害羞草研究所檛 have (a plan) and it strikes me that any business, any not-for-profit, any family usually tries to put in place a plan if they want to get out of a jam害羞草研究所攁nd we害羞草研究所檙e in a jam right now,害羞草研究所� said NDP leader John Horgan, was quoted saying.

Flynn and the residents of Walnut Grove are in a real jam.

Let害羞草研究所檚 hope that new premier of this province remembers his pre-election schtick and turns his attention toward the issues at hand before more people are mired in a situation that they can害羞草研究所檛 see an end to.