You have no idea what it's like to be a young professional tenant

I am a resident, a Millennial and tenant that has spent 5 months looking for a place in the area. I moved here from Vancouver seeking a more affordable place to live as a single young professional. I have had to move 4 times in 4 years forcing me to pay skyrocketing monthly rent that totals 50% of my professional annual salary. Short term rentals have played a big part in the equation with no enforcement of regulations leaving very little long-term places and few decent rental homes for the workforce to live. This leaves higher middle income earners like myself with nowhere to live forcing many talented people to move away or not move here.

I also help minimum wage and lower income earners find housing as part of my profession. It's harrowing to witness honest hard-working people, seniors and families struggle and beyond disgusting how private home-owner landlords take advantage of poor, vulnerable residents in our community because they know tenants have nowhere else to go. The classism is truly staggering. What is council doing as leaders to bridge the divide and educate local private landlords on the tenancy laws and enforce short term rental regulations?

I wanted to share this article about much needed regulation of the rental housing market and shed some light on what I am trying to get across: https://storeys.com/renters-regulation-mom-pop-landlords/

Given this crisis is unprecedented for our region, it's up to council to implement necessary changes like strict enforcement of short term rental bylaws with harsher penalties for infractions and an accessible reporting system for tenants being illegally evicted for short-term rentals and neighbours to report illegal B&B's to North Cowichan staff for followup. Please don't blame other levels of government and turn a blind eye because it doesn't appeal to your own self-interests. Building more homes won't fix things because no average worker can afford the rents or mortgages.

We need to devote tax subsidies to rentals for low income people in our community and prevent homelessness in the first place and make sure current housing stock like secondary suites are long term housing for honest, hard-working exemplary tenants. We are continually maligned and attacked and given a poor reputation for simply standing up for our right to a stable, respected home -- this attitude needs to change.

We no longer live in a community where hard work = home ownership. I hope this policy will make it more livable for those of us on the frontlines serving you everyday so we too can go home to a place we can afford and feel secure in as valued long term community members.