Affordable housing issue needs action

As we read yet another article on the minimum wage debate, I think the point being missed is that affordable housing is almost nonexistent.

Most people who are living below the poverty line would be happy to pay 30 per cent of their income for safe, clean, affordable (geared to income) housing.

By safe I mean they are able to lock their door and not worry about unwanted visitors. By clean I mean a place that is free of vermin, where the bathroom is functional and there is an absence of bed bugs. By affordable I mean the tenant has something to live on once the rent is paid.

If no one has noticed that rents have increased dramatically, then truly they are out of touch with reality. A case in point being someone who lived in a major city in Alberta several years ago, their rent was $750 a month. When this person finally moved due to financial difficulties, it was $1,050. This was a bachelor suite.

No one wants to take responsibility for the housing crisis. Many, many rentals have been bought and turned into “For Sale” condos.

The person who eventually moved is now living in a motel room, which takes most of their income. This person worked since the day they turned 18.

The profile of the homeless needs to change. It is becoming, more often than not, the plus-50 widowed or divorced person, who is no longer able to work, due to issues such as poor health and lack of family support, who does not own their own home.

If the government really wanted to make a difference, they would end their useless “studies” on homelessness and put that money into affordable housing.

However, this continues to be a blind spot with most politicians, who are ensconced in their comfortable homes, far from the realities of the homeless, whatever the reason.

Ruth Jewell

Bellevue