If you drive far enough east, out of Penticton, and find the right forestry road, you might find a family.
The age of that family depends on whom you meet. Ages range from two months old to upward of 60 years, able-bodied and disabled alike.
Jay said he and his family have lived up there since the end of May, and like many others living in the Carmi hills, they鈥檙e victims of an out-of-control rental market in Penticton. Jay is not his real name, as he has asked to remain anonymous, having several friends he hasn鈥檛 told about his living situation.
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But Jay said about 28 families in total live in a 250-square-kilometre forested area east of Penticton, some of whom dig deep into forestry roads with hopes of keeping their location safe and hidden.
Jay鈥檚 campsite is well out of town, but he said it is still one of the easier ones to find. It is home to five family members in total, four of whom are on disability pensions, including one young man with cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that affects motor function.
Their story could sound familiar to any number of people: living in a Penticton apartment building, the family was handed an eviction notice for renovations in February, and despite having a few months to find a new place to live, nothing within the family鈥檚 price range came up.
| A man, who asked that his real name not be used, with his sick dog live in the Carmi area in the bush because they cannot find a place to live. He was told by one landlord to re-apply when his dog is dead. (Mark Brett/Western News) |
It wasn鈥檛 the family鈥檚 first time being evicted.
Since moving into the Carmi hills, the family has had to move around every two weeks 鈥� more than 14 days is considered squatting, and the family was recently handed a notice to pack up or face a $1,000 fine.
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Jay said he goes down every day or every second day to find a place to live, but comes up with nothing affordable or nothing at all. Anything that he can find within their price range is taken up in an instant. He said they stop at the South Okanagan Similkameen Brain Injury Society, which is involved in social housing projects in Penticton and offers a list of spaces up for rent. A list he provided to the Western News had spaces ranging from $600 to $1,350 for a one-bedroom unit.
鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing out there to rent reasonable for anybody. We put our name in for low-income housing, and that was five years ago, but 鈥� there鈥檚 nothing,鈥� Jay said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e so desperate for a house, but we don鈥檛 know where to find one. And we don鈥檛 know where to go, and a lot of motels won鈥檛 do winter rentals. We already checked.鈥�
A sweet, attention-loving dog greets newcomers to their campsite with friendly sniffs and happily accepts rubs. Once a 70-lb dog, who Jay said saved his life three times while hunting, she鈥檚 now emaciated, with cancer in her lungs and kidneys. Despite maintaining energy, discomfort is visible when she moves.
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That鈥檚 added to the difficulty finding a place, with one landlord telling him to 鈥渃ome back when she dies.鈥�
It鈥檚 not just their dog that is struggling. A family member in his late-20s living in the campsite has cerebral palsy. Typically travelling on a scooter, he now has to crawl around on tarps strewn across the campsite.
鈥淭here鈥檚 so many people on disability, EI and pension, but it seems like the landlords don鈥檛 care. The City of Penticton or the government should crack down on these people that are trying to get more than what the house is worth,鈥� Jay said.
鈥淚t seems like arbitration鈥檚 believing all these landlords. And they鈥檙e letting them get away with it. That鈥檚 why a lot of people up here are so mad at landlords, because they鈥檒l use every excuse to get you out so they can raise the rent.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 how everybody feels up here, all the families. That arbitration is letting them get away with it.鈥�
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While it鈥檚 not cheap living in the city, Jay said it鈥檚 more expensive living in the forest, between the money spent on fuel heading in and out of town, up and down the mountain, money spent on repairing and maintaining the vehicles 鈥� brake pads go quickly, Jay鈥檚 son testified 鈥� fuel for their generator and water.
鈥淚鈥檇 say it鈥檚 about $1,200 to live up here,鈥� Jay said.
Many of the 28 families in the hills are struggling even more than Jay is. As a hunter, he鈥檚 got an elaborate setup of tents, a camper and a barbecue, as well as a shower he鈥檚 rigged up using a water pump he salvaged from a camper someone else left near their campsite.
And in the middle of it all, a Molson Brewery 鈥淚 am Canadian鈥� flag.
鈥淏ecause I want to show people that I鈥檓 Canadian, but homeless. And, it seems like the government doesn鈥檛 care.鈥�
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All that gear is both a blessing and a curse 鈥� though it provides some extra comforts, it takes two or three hours to pack up and another two or three to set up in a new spot.
Others don鈥檛 have so many luxuries. In fact, Jay鈥檚 family gave an extra tent to a couple that didn鈥檛 have one.
That鈥檚 not an uncommon occurrence, either. Jay said there鈥檚 a strong sense of community in the hills, with families helping each other out with food, gas and water fairly regularly, and meeting once or twice a week for community meet-ups.
There, they have met an array of different people: a couple in their 60s, a family with toddlers and one couple that gave birth to a new baby just two months ago.
Driving up to the campsite, amid the evergreens that permeate the South Okanagan, a trichromatic rash of deciduous reds, oranges and yellows populates a part of the Upper Carmi area 鈥� a sign of autumn that鈥檚 not a common sight in many of the more natural parts of B.C.
But while a beauty to the eye, it鈥檚 a sign of harder times yet to come for Jay鈥檚 family, as temperatures dip.
鈥淲e鈥檙e worried with the snow coming soon, and we鈥檝e got more coldness. It鈥檚 just that we don鈥檛 know what to do.鈥�
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