B.C. Lions player says housing market is so tight, he’s offering free season tickets to potential landlords

Since returning to the B.C. Lions this season, Jovan Olafioye has spent much of his down time searching for a home.

But from downtown Vancouver to White Rock, his hunt for a house is coming up empty.

“I’ve heard rental properties are scarce out here so I was kind of ready for it, but I didn’t know it was going to be this hard,” he said.

The six-time CFL all-star is not immune to Metro Vancouver’s housing crisis.

Olafioye spent seven seasons with the Lions and last year with the Montreal Alouettes before returning to B.C. this season.

In late June, he took to Twitter to detail his struggle to find a place to stay.

“I’m jumping from hotel to hotel right now,” he told Global News. “I had the same issue in 2016. I don’t think I moved into a place until August so I wouldn’t say I’m used to it but it is frustrating, being away from the family and stuff.”

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While he’s viewed more than 25 furnished two- or three-bedroom homes close to SkyTrain, scoring a six-month lease appears to be his biggest stumbling block as most landlords want tenants to lock in for a year.

“The down season is in December and that’s how long I want to rent to and it’s hard for them to find somebody to rent their place in December so they’re trying to get somebody long term.”

Housing his fiancée and two young children was not a problem in Montreal but in Vancouver, Olafioye, who makes a decent CFL salary, is having to sell himself to potential landlords.

“I’m a good person, my family is good people, I pay my bills on time, I’m not a smoker, I don’t throw huge parties, I’m a family man.”

To sweeten the deal, Olafioye is throwing in B.C. Lions season tickets and some team apparel for whoever ends up leasing to him in what he calls a “landlord’s market.”