Rent increase forces another family out of social housing
City’s rent calculations at housing complex unfair, resident says
A mother of four is worried that she won’t be able to provide for her children as a result of a city council decision that is forcing them out of their home.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous,” said the woman, who didn’t want to be identified for fear of professional ramifications. “I don’t understand how they could do this to us.”
She is one of several residents at an east-end St. John’s housing complex, located at 179-229 Forest Rd., who was notified late in the summer by the city that the cost of their rent would be recalculated in the new year.
While many expected a slight increase, she said, no one expected the kind of shocking hike it would be. They found out last month.
For some, rent would more than double what they’ve been paying.
For the woman, the price would jump from $740 a month to almost $1,300.
“We can’t afford that,” said the woman, a part-time worker. “It’s way too much.”
She said their gross house- hold income, including her husband’s salary, is about $60,000.
The decision to reassess rents was made by city council during the summer, considering the city’s 35-year global operating agreement with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. for the property would expire on Jan. 1, 2018.
The city will calculate the residents’ rent based on 25 per cent of household income, after taxes.
But the woman said it shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all rule. She said the overall household income doesn’t take into account the number of dependants in a household.
“My $60,000 a year with four kids is way different than $60,000 for a person or couple with no kids,” said the woman, whose children range in ages from 11 to 17. “There are six people in our house, with four kids to feed and clothe.”
She said her oldest child will attend university next year, while another will need braces. Three of the children’s birthdays are also in December and January.
She said for the past five years, living with lower rent has allowed them to afford things they never had before — like a new van.
“We’ve never had a new vehicle,” she said. “We were able to buy clothes and shoes for the kids and get (a decent amount of) groceries.
“We finally felt like we weren’t just treading water. Now, if we stay here, we’d be no better off than we were years ago.
“This is going to have a huge effect on our lives.”
The woman said she dreads the thoughts of moving to a low-end apartment away from her children’s friends and school.
“They’re really feeling Mom and Dad’s stress right now,” she said.
Two families in the units, she said, have already moved out, and many others are expected to follow.
“It’s not right,” she said. “I’m all for helping the poor, but it just seems like people on welfare get everything and people like us, who bust our butts to make ends meet, get nothing.”
Newly elected Ward 4 Coun. Hope Jamieson said the new rent assessments bring them in line with the rest of social housing.
When asked why a global household income does not take into consideration the number of dependents, Jamieson said, “Most of our tenants receive Canada Child Benefits, so that sort of balances it out a bit.”
She said if residents believe the decision about their rent was made on faulty information, she will revisit it and review records to see if adjustments are needed.
“We want to make sure we are basing these rents geared to income on current and valid information, of course,” Jamieson said.