Rental hell

I'm trapped in my rental situation. I live in an ok shared home, but if I lived anywhere but Vancouver, I'd want to — and have a chance to — move. But here, the options are so bleak, I guess I'll just stay where I am until the affordability crisis eventually drives me out of the city. Why are all room rentals in Vancouver not only hopelessly expensive, but oppressive and impersonal? Half the ads seem to be boarding homes advertising strange cell-like rooms pre-furnished with tiny cots. Or else landlords advertise rooms in shared homes, rather than tenants having a say in who they'll live with. No wonder people say Vancouver has a loneliness epidemic. We're a city of boarders, not homes. And while I'm at it, fuck every politician and city official who has sat idly by while Vancouver's housing market transformed into what it is now. I make a decent amount of money, but I'm not going to throw away $1000+ a month just to rent some chamber of depression in someone's cash-cow rental. I hoped Vancouver would be my forever city, but at this point I'm planning to get out within a year. I hope everyone else who cares about art and culture drains out with me. It's time to get out of the world's most beautiful husk of a city.

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That's Why

Mar 10, 2020 at 10:12am

I bought a camperized van,and live in it. Has everything my apartment had. Paid for itself in 5 months,and I bank $1400 a month.
In 3 years I've banked an extra $52k.

21 6Rating: +15

Good words

Mar 10, 2020 at 11:23am

While I don’t agree with your point of view, I like how you expressed your thoughts.

FYI, once my rent hit $950 about 16 years ago, I took the plunge and bought a place to be able to control where I live. You can move out of Vancouver and rent elsewhere, but that still doesn’t solve the issue of being at the whim of the rental market. The commenter about the camper van has control over their living arrangement.

15 8Rating: +7

Lots of housing

Mar 10, 2020 at 12:35pm

available in Victoria and the Okanagan - if you're looking for a vacation time share. That's right, developers would rather build these units that take years to sell than provide housing that there's a need for. I can't help thinking that the BC tax code has a hand in this.

10 8Rating: +2

Ugh

Mar 10, 2020 at 2:06pm

Yeah, that's really nice for everyone who has the privilege to leave. A few of us have decided to stick around because we have some actual responsibility towards this place and the folks in it with way fewer options than we have. Or, you know, just leave them with the destroyed city and lalala off to the woods. Must be nice.

well said

Mar 10, 2020 at 2:08pm

I feel the same. I am also trapped in shitty vancouver due to work and family. almost anywhere else my wages would be middle class, but here we are forced to live in sketchy boarding houses and slums. most of my friends already left. One more year and I am escaping this "chamber of depression" and hopefully life will be a lot better. good luck to you

22 7Rating: +15

I hear you!

Mar 10, 2020 at 4:21pm

As for the comment saying just move elsewhere; where is that exactly? Every place in BC that’s halfway decent to live in either has zero rentals other than short term for vacations, or the prices are almost as high as the lower mainland. The test of the places have very little opportunity for work. Do where does that leave us? The government (particularly the previous!) has completely failed the people.

30 7Rating: +23

Anonymous

Mar 10, 2020 at 4:57pm

Vancouver has arts and culture?

21 8Rating: +13

Oh no...

Mar 10, 2020 at 5:31pm

You were duped like so many in this city and have woken up to realize it's a Potemkin village, or a "husk" as you put it. You're right in moving on.

17 7Rating: +10

LaLaLand

Mar 10, 2020 at 6:31pm

I “risked” heading to California even though the Coronavirus has killed a whopping 3 people there and it was the best thing I’ve done in 5 years. It’s warm and there’s actually cool shit to do.

24 3Rating: +21

Juelz

Mar 10, 2020 at 10:09pm

Well said

10 6Rating: +4

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