Okanagan moms banding together against rising home prices
- This story was originally published April 4, 2022
As a single mom, Kristi Reich was struggling to pay for a place on her own in the Okanagan.
Both housing and rental costs across the region have been rising with Kelowna being listed as the fourth most expensive place to rent in the country.
READ MORE: Even with price drop, rent in Kelowna 4th highest in country
According to Zumper, the median price for a two-bedroom in Kelowna is $2,449. Average home prices are now more than $1 million in the city.
But since the Lake Country mom decided to live with a 70-year-old mom who is able to provide childcare, she’s living much more freely.
Reich is the creator of the Moms as Roomates (sic) Okanagan Facebook group, a group she started in February 2021 as rent became increasingly unaffordable for single moms. Since its creation, its accumulated more than 250 members.
“If I’m a person in this situation, there’s got to be hundreds of others,” she said, adding there’s potential for moms to share cooking, cleaning and childcare costs.
“The rent is ridiculous,” she said. “I just thought, here’s a bunch of moms that need a house, maybe with someone else, I’ll make a group, who knows. If one person is saved from maybe an abusive scenario, it was worth it.”
She wants the group to also be a support and resource system for other moms. Landlords often turn away single mothers, she said, as they may not be able to cover the same price as a couple.
“You’re looking at over $2,000 for a family-friendly location,” Reich said.
“What’s the difference if two moms go together kind of as a couple? It’s just like a man and a woman going together, it’s the exact same thing.”
Reich said landlords have also been posting rentals specifically for moms and some moms have connected through the Facebook group.
This idea isn’t unique to the Okanagan. In Washington D.C., two moms purchased a home together, calling for others to “burn the rulebook.”
Sharing a home opens up possibilities for moms to rent in a higher price range and may get a larger home.
Co-habitation options aren’t by choice, Reich said.
“I think a lot of moms had to make sacrifices and live in places they don’t want to unfortunately and pay out the ass to do it.”
The moms Facebook group can be found here.
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