A mother and her disabled daughter say they are the latest victims of Vancouver’s pricey rents.
Crystal Smith moved back to Vancouver from Alberta in the hopes of accessing better services for her 25-year-old daughter, Lily.
More than two months later, they remain homeless.
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“Basically, we can’t find a home that’s affordable,” Smith said. “The prices have skyrocketed and we’ve been having to live in it. We eat our meals in there. We sleep in there. It’s like a refrigerator at night.”
The mom and daughter have been living in their van, sometimes at Spanish Banks, where a number of other homeless people are also living out of their vehicles.
When asked about the hardest part of her situation, Smith referenced her daughter. She said Lily has cerebral palsy, epilepsy, a heart murmur, celiac disease, development delay, asthma, low vision and is in pain.
“Watching her suffer. Knowing she’s having seizures…it’s terrifying.”
Their only break has been a few nights at the Y, which gave them a chance to clean up.
Mother and daughter are now especially worried as the colder months approach. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family.