With rent through the roof, here’s what mothers are doing to survive

With rental prices increasing by nearly 25 per cent in the Okanagan over the past year, it has been especially difficult for mothers with young children to find affordable, safe, and suitable housing.

That’s why the Facebook group, ‘Moms as Roomates Okanagan’, was started by Kristi Reich, a stay-at-home mom in Lake Country, B.C.

“It’s for anybody in the Okanagan who wants to consider having a mom as a roommate in order to save money on the rent,” Reich told Kelowna10.

According to her, mothers with young children are not seen as desirable renters for landlords.

“I thought if moms could pair up together, and put their buying power together… they could end up living in a more suitable property for their kids, and safer altogether,” Reich said.

She added it’s probably over $2,000 a month for a safe, one to two bedroom place to live.

“Add your renter insurance, your bills, the internet, all the other stuff that you pretty much can’t live without these days, you’re at like $2,500 already,” Reich said.

For a lot of moms, she said that amount of money would be unattainable for them to think about paying on their own.

“Maybe if two moms could share a place like that… you’re looking at now $1,250 each, which makes it possible to maybe leave a situation you couldn’t have left otherwise,” Reich said.

The Facebook page is currently sitting just shy of 350 members, and is a positive, supportive place for mothers to connect with each other.

“I think that people are a little bit shy to post initially if they are looking to move, or if they would space-share,” Reich said, adding that a lot of people are routine browsers.

“The good thing is the moms who don’t have the luxury of just watching…they’ve been able to post, and on those posts I’ve seen you know, 10 to 12 people reach out, and I think they’re finding real opportunities,” Reich said.

The most important thing that Reich wants is for landlords to join the Facebook page.

“We do need landlords that are willing to put two single moms on the lease so they can cost share… and without places to rent, as many moms can come together as they want, but we need a place to rent ultimately together in the end,” Reich said.

“Maybe it’s like stepping back a little bit in time, but it’s what we have to do to survive here I guess right now.”