Having moved house way too many times both from necessity and choice, I have a lot of sympathy for those long- term West End residents who have been given eviction notices. Their choices seem pretty limited.
They are victims of our mixed economy. These people are being negatively impacted by the fact that Canadians have chosen to embrace both socialism and capitalism. We feel that the government needs to provide for the least fortunate among us and at the same time we believe that entrepreneurs have the right to get the best returns on their investments. This has resulted in rent controls which means that long term residents pay increasingly less than market rates and at the same time has allowed landlords to use loopholes to evict these long-term residents so they can get market rates.
I think a lot of us still want to straddle some line between capitalism and socialism because overall it provides us with a safety net and an opportunity to become materially successful. Yet we don't want innocent people to suffer.
Since many of the people being evicted are retired and need their own capital to provide an income, I wonder if anyone has considered some form of life lease. The rent increases could be postponed in the same way that we can postpone taxes until we either die or, in this case, decide to move. This way the landlord would have his market rent, eventually, and the retiree could maintain his income and afford to stay put.
I think rent is too expensive all round. Sometimes, the rent is more to pay than if you were buying a property. There are advantages, of course, like only committing to six months or a year at a time and then being free to move on, but overall, buying is best, if you can afford it.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Star
I agree. It gives you stability.
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