KELOWNA — The Kishors thought they had finally found some relief: after searching for a rental home for nearly three months, they thought they were going to move in on Wednesday. But late Tuesday night, they received a call, saying that place had unexpectedly become unavailable.
“We have the moving truck coming and not really sure where we’re taking it to,” said Christine Kishor, a mother of six children — five of whom still live at home.
Global News interviewed Kishor earlier this month when the family was struggling to find an affordable rental home.
READ MORE: Kelowna family about to become homeless because of a housing crunch
Now Kishor is back on the hunt, frantically browsing ads online, and emailing and phoning property managers.
She said she’s under the gun because her landlord is selling the home and her family must move out by Sunday. But she said there are very few vacancies available and even fewer in their price range.
Kishor said homes are renting for between $2,800 and $5,000 a month in Kelowna, out of reach for the professional couple’s $2,000 budget, adding most landlords are increasing prices as demand goes up.
“What in the world are we going to do? We have five children depending on us. The last thing a parent wants is not being able to provide shelter for their children.”
Vacancy rates in Kelowna can be very low at times, but property manager Courtney Deshayes with Vantage West Realty said the numbers are almost unprecedented.
Deshayes said for every 1,000 homes in Kelowna, only five are available for rent.
“I don’t think we’ve seen it at 0.5 per cent. Last year, around this time, it was one to 1.5 per cent,” she said.
Kishor and her family are putting their belongings in storage as they desperately look for a place to call home. She said if they aren’t able to find a suitable place in time they may have to separate the family and move in with various friends.
Comments