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Rental crisis frustating and appalling

If families that are renting could afford to pay $2,200 a month, why wouldn’t we be buying?
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Rental crisis frustating and appalling

There is a growing concern with the rental market in the Cowichan Valley right now.

It is not only a sad situation, but frustrating and appalling AND something needs to be done about it! Houses being built left, right, and centre, yet middle class families are being forced out of their homes and cities. Some having to resort to living in trailers at camp grounds or even worse, living in hotels!

How can we, as a community, be doing this to each other? Homelessness is already a problem, and now homeowners are increasing rents “because it’s the going rate?” If families that are renting could afford to pay $2,200 a month, why wouldn’t we be buying? Because we can’t! So now we are needing to work extra hours, take away from our already nonexistent time with our kids/leisure, to continue to scrape by? What does this say about our society?

Homeowners aren’t the only ones to blame in this situation. Maybe some of them genuinely don’t know that this a housing crisis, but rental management properties do, and they are still suggesting to new landlord prospectors to “get the going rate”? It is disgusting and sad that we take advantage of each other, instead of helping each other by recognizing the despicable, and refusing to be a part of it.

For those homeowners that have not participated in this issue, THANK YOU! For those of you who have, I sincerely ask you to think twice about this housing situation and have compassion for those of us who are trying to keep our children in the town and schools they grew up in. Put yourself in their shoes.

Tara Raymond

Duncan