Housing Experiences

Written by Margaux Wosk, BCPF Regional Director

January 24, 2023

With housing insecurity top of mind for many Canadians, many often wonder if they will have

a roof over their heads.

Costs are rising overall, especially when it comes to groceries - which begs the question: Food or Rent? Having to make this difficult decision, many folks are going hungry.

There is not enough housing and the housing that exists sometimes is operated by individuals who are more concerned about lining their pockets than making a building habitable. This impacts some of our most vulnerable population.

What is is that we need?

More housing. More affordable housing.

Living in Vancouver, homeownership is something that is reserved for the wealthy. According to WOWA, The benchmark price of homes in Vancouver is 1,144,300 - and then you have to consider all the other expenses that come with it, such as property taxes, upkeep and utilities.

Speaking from experience, getting my own apartment was challenging. For a while, I lived with family, I had roommates - but I never had the opportunity to live alone, which is ideal for me based on my unique schedule. I am currently in low income housing that is rent controlled, which works perfectly for me. I have a sense of independence that I have never had before. I have my own cat and i've been able to furnish my apartment in the ways I wanted. Many disabled people have varied levels of support needs. My needs are accommodated by my family, which is assisting me with getting to appointments, business obligations and shopping. There isn't a "one size fits all", there's all kinds of different types of housing that work for others. The problem is how limited it is, how challenging it is to get and how poorly maintained some of the buildings are.