In July 2009 Linda White’s life changed dramatically.
A fire, later determined to be deliberately set, tore through a building on Toronto Street. White had an apartment in the building.
The fire left her homeless and looking for a new place to live, but being on social assistance left White with few options.
“At the start, I had $459 a month to find an apartment when most of them are $600-plus,” White said.
She could not find a place she felt safe enough to live in, or one she could afford.
“It was a long search everyday and not having enough money to afford one,” White explained.
It is an issue Carmichael Outreach sees everyday. In a way to raise awareness of the problem, they participated in a documentary produced by Living Sky Media called “Bridging the Gap: Regina Landlords and Renters on Social Assistance”.
“These people need to be housed, they need a house,” Alaina Harrison from Carmichael Outreach said.
The documentary looks at why some people on social assistance in Regina are left out in the cold. Two of the main factors are low vacancy rates and high rental prices.
“What really needs to happen is greater investment in social housing,” Harrison suggested.
With an election around the corner, it is an issue both leaders are paying close attention to.
“We’re talking about a massive affordable housing program,” NDP leader Dwain Lingenfelter said during the leader’s debate on October 25.
“We’re going to deal with (poverty) by putting programs in place to help those who don’t have a voice or the ability to fight on their own.”
At the debate, SaskParty leader Brad Wall spoke about what the party has done since being elected in 2007, and how they plan to continue the work.
“We’ve dropped 114,000 low income people from the tax roll; they don’t pay any provincial tax at all,” he said. “We’re investing in housing.”
Finally, after 17 months, and viewing around 100 apartments, White was able to find a place to call home, and she could not be happier.
“I love the view,” she said, looking out her east facing window.
As a writer, White uses the view as her inspiration.
White hopes the documentary will make a difference for the people on social assistance that are still looking for a place to live.
“The video is a blunt, raw view of what’s going on right now with the housing situation in Regina,” she said.
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