Renters of Vancouver: “We were late on rent”
Renters of Vancouver takes an intimate look at how the city’s residents are dealing with the housing crisis. Tenants choose to remain nameless when sharing their stories.
“Imoved to Vancouver from Prince George with my partner back in October. We made the decision because we thought we would be able to get better medical care here. Boy, were we wrong.
“My partner is a trans female. We not only thought the city would be safer for her, but it’s also the home of the beauty school where she wanted to study. I have three children, aged seven, nine, and 13. The eldest is autistic, and was not receiving the right support in Prince George. Vancouver has many more resources to help with autism, and that was a big reason for the move. I’d been planning it for at least three years—but if I knew then what I do now, there’s no way I would have come.
“We moved here in October, and stayed briefly in a hostel on West Pender. We were there for about a month before we found a place, close to the PNE. The agreement was a one-year lease, but we were there for only four months before the landlord went crazy.
“My middle child got really sick in December, and ended up having her appendix removed. During the time that she was in the hospital, she came down with a really bad respiratory virus. She has asthma, which I thought was controlled well enough, but the virus triggered a very severe asthma attack. It was really frightening. She was hooked up to facemasks and machines so she could breathe, because her oxygen levels were so low. We almost lost her.
“During that time, the other two kids had to go to school, and so did my partner. We would do shifts so we could get the children to class, and I would come home early so they would all receive the proper care. We were going back and forth from the Children’s Hospital to our place so regularly that it cost upwards of $150 a day to travel.
“That meant that, in the month of December, we lost around $500 of our income. I tried to apply for help with that, but I was denied because I was a local. There are a lot of programs for medical transportation in Vancouver, but they’re typically for people who live out of the city and need to be taken in.
“As a result, we were late on rent. Our landlord knew what was going on. We paid most of it—we were only about $300 behind on our $1900 payment. She gave us a certain amount of time to come up with the money—but before we reached that date, she started harassing me about a hydro bill. I told her that it wouldn’t be a problem paying, but due to the fact that we lost a lot of money when our child was sick, it would take me two or three weeks to get it paid. She claimed she was fine with that. But two days later, she started bringing it up again.
“My partner ended up taking over the conversations, because the stress of dealing with the situation was setting off my anxiety, and I ended up in the hospital. I got really sick. After a couple of days of that, she accused us of having an illegal grow-op in the basement—which was ridiculous, not least because I have three children—and threatened that she’d send the police round, who would remove us. It spiralled completely out of control. She ended up saying we owed her $1700, even though that was nowhere near true.
“I was on the phone with the Residential Tenancy Branch the whole time to find out where we stood, and what we could do to protect our rights. It came to a head when we saw the landlady sitting outside the house in her car with her partner, waiting for us to leave so she could change the locks. We called the police, and we were actually on the phone with them when the landlady tried to barge in. The kids were crying, because they felt like they weren’t allowed to be in their own place.
“We then decided to send our children back to Prince George to live with their father until we could sort the situation out. None of them were sleeping at night. It wasn’t fair to them to struggle through so much uncertainty, especially with an autistic child, because when their routine is disrupted, it sends their whole world into turmoil.
“We left the house, and moved into a motel on Kingsway. We then began looking for a new home. We found that landlords demanded all kinds of information, like credit and even criminal record checks. That’s crazy. I don’t understand why I should have to prove that I’m a good person when they don’t—i lost my kids because the old landlady went back on her word. Together my partner and I have enough for a damage deposit and a few months’ worth of rent up-front, and I’ve told landlords that. Even then, it isn’t enough. I’ve sent more than 500 emails in the last six months, and that’s not including texts, calls, or applications on realtors’ websites. It’s very disheartening to have found nothing.
“We’ve since moved to two more hotels. Right now, with my partner being trans, I have to escort her to the washroom to make sure that she doesn’t suffer any abuse. Even though we’re in a private room, there are bedbugs and cockroaches. My partner has had to drop out of school because of the stress.
“I have no idea what we’re going to do next. We’ve looked at B.C. Housing, but the wait list is three to five years. People can get temporary housing at shelters, but we can’t do that. With my partner being trans, she would have to go to an emergency shelter for trans people. I wouldn’t be able to go with her. If I were to go to a different shelter, my partner couldn’t come with me. We are each other’s security blanket. What can we do?
“I honestly don’t want to be here anymore. The only reason I’m staying is because I want to do everything that I can to rebuild a life and get my kids back. My partner has hope that we can do it here. I’m not so sure anymore. If we had the opportunity to pack up and leave, I’d do it.
“We’ve had to give up everything. Our whole lives are sitting in a storage unit in Port Coquitlam, and we have nothing to show for it. Vancouver is a beautiful city, but it’s not for those who are trying to make it, and have a family. It’s just for the rich.”
Harvest season begins with the sun’s entrance into Libra at 1:02 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on Friday. Indigenous cultures and many spiritual practices commonly regard the four focal points of the year (the solstices and equinoxes) as pivotal points regarding the inner spiritual journey. “Equal night” (the meaning of the Latin equinox) begins a more conscious reflection on the edibles and discards of the harvest to date. Certainly, there is a lot to process. Weighing the past against the present, the sun’s exit out of Virgo and into Libra (the evaluation archetype) now sets a higher premium on creating a better equilibrium. Personal planets Venus, Mercury, and Mars in Virgo continue their focus on the necessary improvements and upgrades.
The autumn equinox is accompanied by Mercury/pluto (trine aspect). This task-driven combination is useful for locking onto the objective with greater precision. It’s an efficient combination for research and detective work, for devising and implementing a more workable strategy. Use this transit to apply for a job or funding, plead your case, negotiate, sell, or tackle the work. Saturday’s Venus/juno benefits contracts and commitments. Whether business-, pleasure-, heart-, or lust-driven, Thursday to Saturday are your best days to win them over.
Sunday’s Mars/neptune can also be good for testing your swagger; on the flip side, though, know you can buy into an illusion. It’s easy to lose sight or momentum. It’s good for creative conjuring, catching up on rest, sleep, romance, or spiritual replenishment.
Monday’s Mercury/saturn can make for a reluctant, slow, or late start. However, Jupiter/uranus is on a kick-it-up, reaching an opportune breakthrough late Wednesday.
ARIES
March 20– April 20
Busy? You bet. Venus, freshly into Virgo, supplies extra motivation and/or need but also helps you make better use of resources and efforts. Friday’s autumn equinox/the Libra sun puts a key relationship or money matter to the forefront. Thursday to Saturday, buy, sell, sign it, or work on it. Sunday onward, some things go as expected; some don’t.
TAURUS April 20– May 21
Mercury, Mars, and now Venus in the sign of Virgo keep the action going strong. They also pump you full of energy, motivation, and can-do. Friday/saturday, make your power play. Ideas, words, and timing; Mercury/pluto loans you added sway and charisma. Sunday, you can be seduced—by yourself or by advertising. Monday/tuesday, there’s stuff to get through. Wednesday/thursday, it’s big; it’s life on the go.
GEMINI
May 21–June 21
Home is a busy place. Looking back and thinking forward, your mind stays extra busy too. Venus in Virgo and the sun in Libra help you get a better handle on it, them, and yourself. Thursday to Saturday, apply yourself. Take it on; it comes together well. Wednesday/thursday, Jupiter/ Uranus puts you in the know or on the go, perhaps suddenly so.
CANCER June 21–July 22
Beyond your control, with or without your active pursuit, potentials are progressively revealing themselves. Mercury, Mars, and Venus in Virgo set the reality onto its next track. Wednesday/thursday gives you a lot more to go on. To the plus, the transits are opportune, corrective, and solution-generating. Keep looking; keep trying; keep working on it. Talk it out; ask more questions; feel it out.
LEO
July 22– August 23
Get it cleaned up; reduce and reuse where possible. Aim to put your time, your money, and your heart to better use. Even if you can’t stick to the budget or the plan, you are further ahead to having either one. Thursday to Saturday, get it said and work it out. Take it on; make it happen. Sunday onward, one thing sets up the next.
VIRGO
August 23–September 23
The sun ditches Virgo for Libra on Friday, but you’re on the gain with Mercury, Mars, and now Venus, fresh at it in your sign. The combo loans you an upgrade of “I am, I will, and I deserve.” Through Saturday, you’ll find the ability to express, engage, think it through, retain information, and make smarter choices. Sunday through Wednesday, stay open-ended and open-minded.
LIBRA
September 23– October 23
If you can, steal away extra time to yourself to reflect, study, or get it sorted out. Less distraction and more “me time” or away time can only do you good. Do not ignore a hint, an impression, or your body’s signals. Get it repaired before it’s a bigger issue. Building to Wednesday/thursday, Jupiter/uranus sets you onto full steam ahead, perhaps unexpectedly so.
SCORPIO
October 23– November 22
You don’t have time to sit around! Mercury, Mars, and Venus will continue to keep you busy regarding work, the to-do list, and the people interface. Put your creative smarts into action Thursday to Sunday. Your power of persuasion is at its peak. Monday/tuesday, shift tracks; move on. Wednesday/ Thursday, Jupiter/ Uranus kicks it up a great big notch.
SAGITTARIUS November 22– December 21
Thursday to Saturday sets you onto a productive track. Sunday onward moves you forward too, but with added push and less control. What is no longer useful or purposeful is on its way out. The process allows for an important missing blank to be filled or a key to be found. Building to Wednesday/thursday, Jupiter/ Uranus takes you/it to a whole new level, perhaps unexpectedly so.
CAPRICORN December 21–January 20
Some call it intuition; some call it common sense; some call it smarts. Label it any which way: you have it in spades. Through Saturday, your ability to sway is excellent. Aim to get it said, signed, and done. Sunday onward gets you going on something that’s next. Wednesday/thursday, take a risk; you could strike it hot.
AQUARIUS
January 20– February 18
The stars pile on extra work or expense. There’s no way to escape or avoid facing what’s necessary, but results spell improvement. Thursday to Saturday are productive. Get at it and talk it out; sign it or buy it. Chill out Sunday. Monday/tuesday, there’s stuff to work through. Wednesday/thursday puts you in the know or gain. Timing is everything.
PISCES
February 18– March 20
Whether work-related, social, or personal, relationships keep your days and/or your mind on the fast spin. Through Saturday, communication tracks are enhanced. There’s a better ability to make an important inroad with a key someone. Sunday is good for creative pursuits or relaxation. Monday/tuesday keeps it real. Wednesday/thursday, take your best shot. Jupiter/uranus cracks it open.
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