My wife and I have been living in a trailer with an addition of my making for over 3 1/2 years.
We were set up on someone’s private lands in a rural setting. We were hooked up properly to sepic and had power and water. We had a relationship that was beneficial to the landowner and ourselves. We had a by-law enforcer show up on the property because a neighbour (who lives in a trailer himself, abides by no rules or regulations and lives in a hoarder’s mess) made a complaint about 43 people in the neighbourhood living in tiny homes of their making (trailers, fifth wheels, Yurts) This ideological subversion of this man-made people homeless in this neighbourhood including myself and my wife.
There is a housing crisis in Canada and this municipality is pushing people out of trailers. We were told by the bylaw enforcer that these units do not meet building codes. (why do they sell these units in Canada?) He stated you can not sleep in these units on your property. We said people haul trailers all over and sleep in them while camping. We were told that parks and campsites are grey areas. What? There was no logic in what he was saying. Plus no one can make a complaint against the guy who started all this because in the by-law enforcers’ words that would be vindictive. Many people are having a hard time finding housing here because many residents have converted traditional rentals into Airbnb accommodations. Many are being forced to live beyond their means with high rental costs.
During the lockdown nurses, doctors and other emergency workers could live in an RV but that doesn’t matter now. The city of Duncan has small trailer units set up for street people on Trunk Road. This seems like hypocrisy. The by-law enforcer’s boss is the mayor. The mayor serves the corporation of The City of Duncan, Not We The People. The mayor could amend the by-laws so people can live in RVs and be allowed to rent them out to others to use. There are people doing that already (Marketplace is full of ads)
Why are there rules for some? Is it because the municipality is not getting their cut?
The transients in this town get better treatment than working people, trying to get by.
We The People need help.
KWS