Robert King, seen here with his children, says the housing situation in Corner Brook has become very tight. (Submitted by Robert King)
A single father on the west coast of Newfoundland is struggling to find affordable housing for himself and his young children.
Robert King has separated from his wife and is in the process of looking for housing for himself and his two young children. But in Corner Brook, King has found only landlords flooded with applicants.
Speaking to Newfoundland Morning, King detailed some of the struggles he faced during his search.
“Just getting a seat here is crazy,” King said. “As soon as someone becomes available, you can message them and you won’t even get a message back because there are so many people looking. It’s unbelievable.”
King explained that while things aren’t as extreme as they appear on the province’s east coast, referring to images of prospective tenants and buyers queuing for viewings, he said he was looking at apartments while other people were still inside .
When King was still with his wife, the couple approached the government about the housing program. According to him, they were told their incomes were too high to qualify for help. He would apply again after their breakup, but was again rejected. With one income, King isn’t sure what to do next.
“I found a decent job. It took me years to get this job. But with rent and all, the price of gas goes up… heat and light. You can’t do that on one income.”
He added that he pays $1,200 a month in rent on his current home, but keeps getting turned down for a mortgage. King is calling for more options for people in similar situations, saying NL Housing should have a certain number of units set aside for emergencies.
Access to affordable housing in Newfoundland and Labrador has become a struggle, says Steve Gaulton of the Community Mental Health Initiative. (Chance Lagaden/CBC)
“The government should be able to step in and say, ‘Hey, don’t worry. We got you. Can’t find a place? We’ve got you.” Not just turning around and saying, ‘Well, there’s nothing we can do.’
King explained that the hardest part of the ordeal for him was looking at his children and knowing that they didn’t deserve what they were going through.
An all too common problem
According to a housing and support officer with the Community Mental Health Initiative, stories like King’s are common in Newfoundland and Labrador. Speaking to Newfoundland Morning, Steve Gaulton said he faces similar situations every day.
Golton explained that when major development projects and economic booms come into certain areas, the workers brought to those areas need housing just like everyone else. He believes that the construction of the new hospital in Corner Brook contributed to the struggle. This, combined with global inflation, is leading to a significant shortage of affordable housing.
In general, Gaulton agrees with King’s assessment of the market.
“I associate it with fishing. You just put it out there and hope someone pecks. Sometimes we get lucky and we get a response back, and we try to start a conversation.”
Gaulton echoes King’s view that there should be additional support for people in these situations. However, finding these solutions turns out to be easier said than done.
“As Mr. King said, it’s full of challenges. Right now we’re mostly dealing with the emergency side of things,” Gaulton said.
“When it gets to a point where someone is on the street, that’s when we need to use the emergency services.” We have two emergency shelters here. This is where we are.’
Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
Add Comment