Colleen Frank is exhausted. Discouraged. Angry. Most of all, she鈥檚 sad.
The 72-year-old from Chilliwack is facing eviction. At month鈥檚 end she has to be out of her small apartment unit in the Westwind complex on Watson Road, and she鈥檚 not sure where she鈥檒l go.
鈥淭here is enough land in this country for everybody to be able to have a decent home,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut that鈥檚 not the case.鈥�
Frank can鈥檛 afford anything she鈥檚 seen and she鈥檚 terrified she鈥檒l eventually end up on the streets.
She was told in March that she has to leave the building that she鈥檚 lived in since July of 1999. She was informed by the building鈥檚 owner that a family member 鈥渨as having issues鈥� and would need to move into her unit.
Frank strongly suspects she鈥檚 being 鈥榬enovicted.鈥� That鈥檚 the thing where a building owner gets rid of existing renters, fixes up units and rents them out at a higher rate.
But it鈥檚 only a suspicion, one she can鈥檛 prove.
Frank was supposed to be out at the end of May, but she filed a tenancy dispute. The hearing is July 28 and if the judge rules against her, she鈥檒l have to be gone July 29.
It is a familiar tale these days. With real estate skyrocketing, people can鈥檛 buy. With rent skyrocketing, people can鈥檛 rent.
If you can鈥檛 buy and you can鈥檛 rent, what鈥檚 left?
For a senior like her, the financial considerations are huge. The Westwind strata was paying her to be the unofficial building manager, a job that covered her rent and no more.
鈥淚 have basically been referred to as the cleaning lady, caretaker, dorm mom, prison warden and FFM (free fake manager),鈥� she wrote in a letter to the Residential Tenancy Branch. 鈥淚 have handled all emergencies, assisted with fire inspections, evacuations, maintenance calls and police matters for 20 years.鈥�
With that income soon to be gone, she鈥檒l be left with Old Age Security and a small pension, adding up to a paltry $1,000 a month.
She can鈥檛 get the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIC), up to $995.99, that many low-income seniors receive.
Frank started to dip into her retirement savings in 2018, 鈥渏ust to survive,鈥� and the money she took out is classified as a 鈥榟ardship payment.鈥� It鈥檚 added to her income in 2022 even though she earned it decades ago, making her ineligible for GIC, and she鈥檚 taxed on it the following spring.
She is well below the 2022 basic standard of living Canada, set around $18,000.
鈥淵ou cannot rent, eat, have phone and cable, transportation and prescriptions on $1,000 a month,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not possible.鈥�
Frank鈥檚 been collecting letters of support from fellow tenants in recent weeks.
鈥淩esidents will suffer because there鈥檚 no way that we will find someone who will put the level of care into this place like Colleen does,鈥� wrote Kate McGladdery.
A little girl in the building added this thought.
鈥淚 really like Colleen and she has to stay here. Don鈥檛 be mean!鈥�
Frank has talked to politicians and resource workers, anyone she can think of who might be able to help. All of them mean well, but she finds herself in a never-ending circle of referrals. Person A refers her to person B who refers her to person C who refers her to person A.
鈥淚鈥檝e had hundreds and hundreds of phone calls and talked to everyone there is to talk to, and I just get referred back to people I鈥檝e already talked to,鈥� Frank said. 鈥淣obody answers the phone. Everybody鈥檚 on holidays. They say they鈥檒l get back to you and they don鈥檛.
鈥淚t鈥檚 exhausting, and I鈥檓 tired.鈥�
The Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters (SAFER) program would be an option if it didn鈥檛 require a signed rental agreement as a condition to qualify. Frank can鈥檛 find a place she can afford, so she can鈥檛 sign a rental agreement and she can鈥檛 quality.
One resource worker suggested her only hope was to get someone to start a GoFundMe on her behalf, so she would at least have money to help her land on her feet.
And that鈥檚 what it鈥檚 come to, a senior forced to resort to online begging to survive.
鈥淚鈥檓 not the type of person who asks for help,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 usually the one giving the help. I鈥檓 not one to beg and I鈥檝e never been one to sit on my duff, so this is hard. It鈥檚 very hard. I try to be positive, but it鈥檚 not easy and I don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e had a good sleep since the fall of 2021.
鈥淏ut I鈥檝e always said that you鈥檝e got to find at least one thing a day to smile and laugh at. That鈥檚 what I鈥檓 trying to do.鈥�
Franks鈥� GoFundMe is at .
eric.welsh@hopestandard.com
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