Sunday 27 December 2015

Finding Housing for 7



I told someone that this is the hardest thing I have ever done. Upon reflection I realized I was wrong, but it is in the top 5. Finding affordable housing for a family of 7 is almost impossible in Oakville and Mississauga. 

The government’s recommendations for the budget for housing might work in Bancroft, or Timmins or Windsor, but you cannot house this family on $1300 per month. When we have found 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartments or townhouses we have been turned down (4 times) because the family is “too large”. At one townhouse complex I was told by the property manager that they would not rent to refugees. (I will be dealing with that later!) 

We started the search with a criteria list that included things like price, location, on public transit, near a halal butcher, near a food bank etc.. Now most of that has gone out the window. We realize a compromise is necessary. 

While the family is now comfortably ensconced in the home of my generous co-chair this is not workable in the long term. Our family wants to start their own life here in earnest and they are keenly aware of their imposition on their host family. My co-chair is delighted to have them but a 2 or 3 month period was not what she anticipated. I think we have a solution – due to a generous corporation. We will see how that works out and I will tell you more about that when (I must be optimistic) it happens.

2 comments:

  1. I was reading your article .... let me tell you how OUR government works... this may come as a surprise to you.
    I was born here, I have worked here all of my life. I am now 55. Recently due to a fall on ice I have a rotator cuff injury to one shoulder and a sciatic problem in one leg. After some testing, it was a surprise when the doctor advised me that all my joints also have arthritis. The leg and shoulder injuries prevent me from working and because it is winter I applied for some assistance from our government for basics like heat and transportation to medical appointments. Due to living in the country my heat is propane and I haul water for washing and drinking. After visiting FOUR different offices and FIVE trips and TEN days later .... I finally received some help and was told, make it last,don't ask for more. On the last trip I advised that I might not have enough fuel in my vehicle to get back home and I was told, sorry, there is nothing we can do, good luck.
    Now would you like to know exactly how much assistance I received for ALL my needs and ALL my living ? That is for EVERYTHING, food clothing, shelter, fuel, transportation and anything else I might need such as prescriptions etc.
    Shelter $323.00
    Essentials $304.00
    Earnings Replacement $86.00
    I was advised that I needed to report any changes either by phone or online and when I said that my phone was disconnected a couple months ago and my internet was likely to also be soon due to a surprise "adjustment" at Christmas and a $300 bill, I was told nothing could be done, sorry that's your problem to deal with.
    I'm mystified by the item Earnings Replacement at $86 - for all my years of trucking, over 30.... I have never had $86 in earnings... so how did they get this figure as earnings replacement ? Thin air ? It's not even a fraction of any normal wage for any sort of job.
    One lady helpfully suggested that if I moved back to the city and rented, then I would not have to buy propane and go to get water thereby saving money. So I asked how much is rent in the city? I was told, Oh, about $700 is the average .... my next question was - then how do you eat for a month on the remaining $13 ? Oh ! was the reply, I guess you can't. That particular lady was the head of one of our government assistance departments. Obviously her math is not so great.

    Now maybe you understand more clearly why some people are not at all happy that our government is flying to bring refugees here and shelling out thousands to support them ?
    Maybe also now you can understand why landlords do not wish to rent ?
    Maybe you also can understand resentment .... people born here who have worked all their lives and paid into our government are treated like second class citizens in a time of need and forced to jump through hoops to get anything while while immigrants/refugees are sought after and flown here and then get the red carpet rolled out for them.

    This article : Sponsors seeking homes for Syrian refugees instead find closed doors
    prompted me to write.

    After reading this "“Being an affluent, blonde white woman, I’ve never really experienced any prejudice in Canada. And so when someone told me they wouldn’t rent because I was asking about Syrian refugees, I was flabbergasted,” she said."
    I thought maybe you would like the perspective of an once affluent white Canadian male person portraying the prejudice encountered by our own government, this way you can perhaps understand better the prejudice you encountered and why it exists.

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  2. Further to my previous post ...because the page will only accept 4096 characters...
    And as a matter of interest - as I was standing in line at one of the assistance places to see what could be done for myself so as to have heat, food and transportation, I overheard the following conversation between a young black lady and her male friend, she hoped she would not have a problem getting more money because she was gone for a while and he asked where to, so she replied back home and he said, Nigeria and she said yes... she had so much stress here she had to fly home to see her mother and it was so very peaceful there, so her friend advised her to say that the political situation there was very bad and she had to go see her family, then likely she would not have any problems.... I am sure you can understand what I was thinking at the time.... I am wondering if I can get any help at all for heat in winter and here is what the immigrants already get with no problem - to fly across the globe to visit and then come back and make any excuse to get more. I am just furious to be told here is a couple 300 dollar bills for everything you need and be sure you make it last, don't ask for more.... while immigrant people from Nigeria get enough money from OUR government to go fly back and forth ! That is why I am very opposed to the idea that we need to go get immigrants and persuade them to even come and then fly them here at our expense as well as support them - what happened to helping our own people first ? Maybe you can tell me ? I am sure a lot of others would also like to

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