A manager of three mobile home parks in B.C. says the pandemic has undermined people’s humanity and increased financial pressures, making desperate times for renters and difficult times for landlords..Lindy manages two mobile parks for seniors that she owns in one community but also manages another one elsewhere. The last three years have been especially challenging..“During the COVID, [seniors’] children wouldn't see them if they had chosen to not be vaccinated. Some of these tenants have not seen their children or their grandchildren for years, they've been cut off completely. So that's one thing I would say I've noticed a ton,” Lindy tells the Western Standard, her last name withheld for professional reasons..“The other thing I have noticed incredibly, and I've spoken with other mobile home park managers, is people's ability to communicate and handle situations is just gone because of increased drug use, depression, anxiety, loneliness. .“The biggest thing that stands out is the mental capacity and people's abilities after COVID. There's something off for sure. You can't reason with people. They just sit in their homes all day. A lot of them just smoke pot. There's been a massive increase in heart attacks and strokes in the park for sure.”.“Younger men are living with 70, 80-year-old mothers who are taking care of them. And they all don't work. They're all on disability. That to me is something that has increased incredibly, not the women but the young men,” she explains..“I've been issued many death threats this year. It's all men, they'll come and hang out with their mom. They'll stay there for a few days because they don't have jobs. They'll have their big monster truck, and I'll say, ‘Can you please move it out of visitors’ parking?’ They are vicious against me.”.The business case for enduring such hassles has eroded. In December, Statistics Canada reported a year-over-year inflation rate of 6.3%. According to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, a conventional five-year mortgage was 3.2% in August of 2021, but rose every month since, reaching 5.89% in December of 2022. .“Our costs of running a park have quadrupled with everything, with utilities. The snow removal has just skyrocketed, garbage removal, everything skyrocketed. Our waste management has tripled,” Lindy says. Anything beyond a simple fix carries a big price tag.".“As much as it's the materials it’s also the labor that is off the charts. Everyone has added on this new environmental fee and a fuel surcharge. I'll question them on this environmental fee, and they don't really have an answer.”.B.C. froze rent increases for existing tenants in 2021, limited it to 1.5% in 2022, and capped it at 2% in 2023. A 4.3% increase in 2011 was the biggest allowed since the policy began in 2005..“For the tenant, if they're locked in, that's great; but for the landlord, it's terrible. They [tenants] think that a landlord always has all this money. Well, the risk is all on the owner of the home because, even if you're on a fixed tenancy for one year, you can still break that tenancy and walk away. It's very difficult.”.A vacancy frees a landlord to set a new rental amount, but inflation limits what people can afford..“I can't set it too high. I don't like to do that because they're seniors and they don't have a lot of income. Plus, the homes that we’re renting are quite old, so they [need upkeep]. So, it's a fight. It's a very difficult thing to find the right tenant that's going to pay their rent, that's going to take care of the place, and can also afford it. Everything's skyrocketing.”.The trailer parks are designated for those aged 55 and up, but people of all ages reason it doesn’t hurt to ask..“They're homeless, and they'll show up to view a home and they're literally coming up with a shopping cart and their bike,” says Lindy..“I still get all the people with babies and families…I'll get hundreds of responses in a few days. Even though they're not following the age restriction, they still are hoping maybe I'll let them come in. A lot of them are people that do not speak English. You can tell it's a second language.”.The headaches and economic challenges may be contributing to the dearth of landlords offering housing. Landlord Lindy isn’t sure how long she will keep her title..“We have discussed, is it worth it? Because we're literally going backwards for all the work and for the time and the expenses. The income is not able to support the expenses anymore. What do we do? Do we keep going?”
A manager of three mobile home parks in B.C. says the pandemic has undermined people’s humanity and increased financial pressures, making desperate times for renters and difficult times for landlords..Lindy manages two mobile parks for seniors that she owns in one community but also manages another one elsewhere. The last three years have been especially challenging..“During the COVID, [seniors’] children wouldn't see them if they had chosen to not be vaccinated. Some of these tenants have not seen their children or their grandchildren for years, they've been cut off completely. So that's one thing I would say I've noticed a ton,” Lindy tells the Western Standard, her last name withheld for professional reasons..“The other thing I have noticed incredibly, and I've spoken with other mobile home park managers, is people's ability to communicate and handle situations is just gone because of increased drug use, depression, anxiety, loneliness. .“The biggest thing that stands out is the mental capacity and people's abilities after COVID. There's something off for sure. You can't reason with people. They just sit in their homes all day. A lot of them just smoke pot. There's been a massive increase in heart attacks and strokes in the park for sure.”.“Younger men are living with 70, 80-year-old mothers who are taking care of them. And they all don't work. They're all on disability. That to me is something that has increased incredibly, not the women but the young men,” she explains..“I've been issued many death threats this year. It's all men, they'll come and hang out with their mom. They'll stay there for a few days because they don't have jobs. They'll have their big monster truck, and I'll say, ‘Can you please move it out of visitors’ parking?’ They are vicious against me.”.The business case for enduring such hassles has eroded. In December, Statistics Canada reported a year-over-year inflation rate of 6.3%. According to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, a conventional five-year mortgage was 3.2% in August of 2021, but rose every month since, reaching 5.89% in December of 2022. .“Our costs of running a park have quadrupled with everything, with utilities. The snow removal has just skyrocketed, garbage removal, everything skyrocketed. Our waste management has tripled,” Lindy says. Anything beyond a simple fix carries a big price tag.".“As much as it's the materials it’s also the labor that is off the charts. Everyone has added on this new environmental fee and a fuel surcharge. I'll question them on this environmental fee, and they don't really have an answer.”.B.C. froze rent increases for existing tenants in 2021, limited it to 1.5% in 2022, and capped it at 2% in 2023. A 4.3% increase in 2011 was the biggest allowed since the policy began in 2005..“For the tenant, if they're locked in, that's great; but for the landlord, it's terrible. They [tenants] think that a landlord always has all this money. Well, the risk is all on the owner of the home because, even if you're on a fixed tenancy for one year, you can still break that tenancy and walk away. It's very difficult.”.A vacancy frees a landlord to set a new rental amount, but inflation limits what people can afford..“I can't set it too high. I don't like to do that because they're seniors and they don't have a lot of income. Plus, the homes that we’re renting are quite old, so they [need upkeep]. So, it's a fight. It's a very difficult thing to find the right tenant that's going to pay their rent, that's going to take care of the place, and can also afford it. Everything's skyrocketing.”.The trailer parks are designated for those aged 55 and up, but people of all ages reason it doesn’t hurt to ask..“They're homeless, and they'll show up to view a home and they're literally coming up with a shopping cart and their bike,” says Lindy..“I still get all the people with babies and families…I'll get hundreds of responses in a few days. Even though they're not following the age restriction, they still are hoping maybe I'll let them come in. A lot of them are people that do not speak English. You can tell it's a second language.”.The headaches and economic challenges may be contributing to the dearth of landlords offering housing. Landlord Lindy isn’t sure how long she will keep her title..“We have discussed, is it worth it? Because we're literally going backwards for all the work and for the time and the expenses. The income is not able to support the expenses anymore. What do we do? Do we keep going?”
