Penticton healthcare worker and kids on the brink of homelessness
A single mother of two is struggling to keep her family housed in the midst of a provincial housing crisis.
Currently living in a small, one-bedroom apartment, Kandace Sztepanacz is getting further into debt every month.
“I’m financially sinking,” she said. “I’ve even had to take out payday loans. I’m living in fear that we’ll end up living in my car, and come January there is a rental increase.”
Sztepanacz does not know from month-to-month if she will be able to afford to keep living at her apartment, and between shifts as a nursing unit clerk at the Penticton Regional Hospital, she searches for a cheaper place to live.
She can’t come close to finding one within her price range, and the ongoing stressful situation is impacting her mental health.
“The prices are unbelievable,” she said. “Even the properties that claim to be low income are $1,600 or more for a one-bedroom and then they require rental insurance, charge for parking and add utilities on top of that.
“There are a few properties that have units on the lower price range, but they require you to have a certain credit score.”
READ MORE: Governments need to 'serious steps' to tackle housing crisis: Accountants
Last year Sztepanacz was on EI to top up her wages but no longer qualifies after bumping up to a full time position a few months ago.
“Even with full time hours I’m barely getting by,” she said. “I don’t receive child support so I pick up overtime work whenever possible.”
This year she applied for rental subsidy through B.C. Housing.
“They base it on last year’s taxes and I had the EI topping me up which made too much to qualify for their low-income bracket of $40,000 gross, not take home, gross, to support three people,” she said. “So I reapplied asking them to use what I currently make.
“They wanted three current pay stubs which I submitted but the stubs reflected a period of unusually high overtime hours I was able to grab when many of my coworkers were away. I explained it was higher than normal and showed them normal stubs, but they used my overtime stubs and decided I made too much for the low-income bracket and turned me down.”
Sztepanacz applied to go back to school to become a nurse so she could make more money but had to put the plan on hold because she couldn’t support her kids at the same time.
She has even tried to find a second job but her rotating schedule as a hospital clerk prevents it.
Sztepanacz wants the government to step in and help families who are desperate for affordable housing.
“My grandmother worked at the hospital running the X-ray department for years and was able to afford a big, beautiful home where I grew up but my generation can’t afford to live. Something needs to be done, the cost of living is way too high. I have a great job, one with a pension, but I live in fear that we’ll end up on the streets.”
READ MORE: HOUSING CRISIS: Kamloops mom and kids in rough place after losing home
Sztepanacz has one family member living in Penticton who doesn’t have room to take the three of them in.
“I know people my age and into their 40s that had to move back into their parents’ houses and others who work full time while living in their cars.”
While Sztepanacz is taking every day one-at-time, she is battling anxiety, fear and feelings of hopelessness that her family will ever feel financially stable and securely housed.
According to Statistics Canada data from the 2021 census released in September, B.C. residents paid an average of 25.6% of their income on shelter last year.
43.7% of renters in Kelowna paid more than 30% of their income on shelter last year.
36.1% of renters in Kamloops payed more than 30% last year.
The data released by StatsCan doesn't include a breakdown for smaller communities.
READ MORE: Renters in Kamloops, Kelowna struggle more than homeowners to afford shelter: StatsCan
- This story was corrected at 8:56 a.m. to change the headline as the woman is not a nurse.
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