A fire in a Penticton motel is a dramatic reminder of the precarious housing situation in the city, as evacuees and emergency service providers scramble to find housing.
Brian Wallace is one of those residents desperately searching for a place to live.
Through tears, Wallace explained that he is desperate for someone to give him and his dog a chance.
91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 know what else to do,91裸聊视频� said Wallace. 91裸聊视频淚 am sick, I am a cancer survivor, I have a therapy dog and I91裸聊视频檝e lived there for 10 years. I need someone to give me a month trial with my dog, that91裸聊视频檚 it. If they don91裸聊视频檛 like me after a month I91裸聊视频檒l move on, but right now I need a roof over my head. I am 63 years old, I can91裸聊视频檛 live on the streets, I need my dog, he is a best friend, he is the only family I got.91裸聊视频�
The Highland Motel near the northern entrance to Penticton on Highway 97, causing the evacuation of all residents. Fire Chief Larry Watkinson said the fire in the motel, which was uninsured at the time, rendered the structure a write-off.
91裸聊视频淭hese are definitely the have-not people of our community, and that91裸聊视频檚 hard on them. They91裸聊视频檝e lost pretty well everything they91裸聊视频檝e got,91裸聊视频� said Watkinson.
The motel housed over about 20 low-income residents who, earlier in June, were served eviction notices for July 1 after the property was recently sold to an unknown developer.
But in a city with next to nothing vacant 91裸聊视频� doubly so for affordable units 91裸聊视频� that hasn91裸聊视频檛 been much time for evacuees to find new accommodations.
91裸聊视频淏eing Penticton, with the resort town, being the long weekend, being summer, there91裸聊视频檚 no availability anywhere,91裸聊视频� said emergency support services director Alida Erickson. 91裸聊视频淣ormally we would have put them up in a motel. Either way, even if there were motel rooms available, at this point they would still be out because emergency support services coverage is done.91裸聊视频�
Normally, the evacuees would have been out on their own come Monday afternoon, but the B.C. government extended by another 24 hours to 96.
91裸聊视频淭hey gave us a little bit of breathing space, anyway,91裸聊视频� said evacuee Terry Theroux. 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 just hoping, crossing my fingers that, under the circumstances, they91裸聊视频檒l be able to find me something.91裸聊视频�
Theroux said the volunteers at the emergency shelter have been exceptionally supportive.
91裸聊视频淭hey91裸聊视频檝e really gone out of the way to make us feel as comfortable as possible,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淰ery supportive. Even the security guards, you can talk to them about anything. They91裸聊视频檙e happy to listen and happy to speak with you.91裸聊视频�
Through those conversations, Erickson said she91裸聊视频檚 learned about the marginal situations that the Highland Motel91裸聊视频檚 former residents are in.
91裸聊视频淥ver these last four days, we91裸聊视频檝e become friends with some of these people, and they are feeling secure enough with us, now, that they91裸聊视频檙e telling us how their lives are,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淎 lot of them are marginal and they have addiction or other mental health issues, and, for whatever reason, they91裸聊视频檝e fallen through the cracks in some cases.
91裸聊视频淎nybody with empathy is going to feel for them. It is taking a toll on us to a point. But I can go home to my own house, tonight.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淲e are trying to find ways that these people may be able to go stay with family members or a friend, that are a bus ride away, help them get to those locations so that they can stay with someone they know or feel secure with,91裸聊视频� said Watkinson. 91裸聊视频淲e don91裸聊视频檛 want them to end up on the streets.91裸聊视频�
Watkinson is hoping they can allow them to stay at the community centre at least one more night, but said the community centre is also struggling with relocating planned summer programs for kids that were meant to happen there.
91裸聊视频淲e need to help them make the next step or this will become their permanent residence and that won91裸聊视频檛 work,91裸聊视频� said Watkinson.
Efforts are focused on finding shelter for the motel91裸聊视频檚 evacuees, but Watkinson says the real struggle will be to find stable, sustainable housing.
91裸聊视频淭hey don91裸聊视频檛 have a down payment, they don91裸聊视频檛 have first month91裸聊视频檚 rent, they don91裸聊视频檛 have a reference. It91裸聊视频檚 really hard to get them into a place that will allow them to rent,91裸聊视频� Watkinson said. 91裸聊视频淎 few of them have been able to find places. But we still have 14 that are homeless. We just don91裸聊视频檛 want them to end up on the streets and become another statistic, right?91裸聊视频�
With up to 14 more potentially homeless individuals, there is more pressure on the city to help develop solutions to the city91裸聊视频檚 affordable housing situation.
91裸聊视频淲e recognize the need for more housing for those below the poverty line, as well as the working poor,91裸聊视频� Mayor Andrew Jakubeit said in an email statement. 91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檝e partnered with B.C. Housing to provide some relief, but the need outweighs the current supply, and process to add more units is slow.91裸聊视频�
Jakubeit added that the city is working with local nonprofits and other agencies to 91裸聊视频渉elp fast-track some solutions,91裸聊视频� adding that adding to the market-price stock could help alleviate the issue as well.
91裸聊视频淟ater this fall, several new apartments will come online, so that will create some more inventory and provide some market price adjustments for older units that currently charge a premium because of limited vacancies.91裸聊视频�
The cause of the fire was deemed 91裸聊视频榮uspicious,91裸聊视频� but Watkinson said the fire crews left it at that because the building was set for demolition and 91裸聊视频渋t didn91裸聊视频檛 make good sense to put somebody91裸聊视频檚 life at risk91裸聊视频� by sending a fire inspector in to investigate further.
