Seniors losing mobile homes blame B.C. government

A group of seniors being evicted from their waterfront neighbourhood on Vancouver Island are imploring the B.C. government for help.

The mobile home park they live in has been sold and the seniors — some in their 70s and 80s — have been told to move their trailers out by next May.

"Inhumane is the term that I've used," said resident Joan Auld, 72. "It's inhumane to treat people like this."

Auld and her husband, Terry, live at the Saltair Seaside Trailer Park near Ladysmith along with nine other residents. Last year, the property was purchased for $1.9 million by two businessmen who want to rebuild there.

Homes being dismantled, sold for scrap

This spring, the residents were given a year's eviction notice, plus the equivalent of one year's paid rent — approximately $3,400 each — the minimum compensation required by provincial law. Many of the trailers are old and have been renovated, so moving them is difficult or impossible.

"We are just falling through the cracks here," said Auld.

Auld said her husband, Terry, a veteran who served with the Canadian Navy for 25 years, now stays up much of the night worrying.

He spends his days dismantling their mobile home, one board at a time.

"It just isn't fair to put people out of their homes," Joan Auld said. "I understand that land gets bought, it gets developed. But there has to be a fair balance here."

Auld said it's going to cost the couple more than $40,000 to move their trailer to another park — more than 10 times what the owners are paying in compensation.

New owner Lee Gilroy said he tried for months to find new accommodations for the residents and their trailers, but was unsuccessful.

"Existing mobile home parks don't want homes that are that old," explained Gilroy. "Many of them aren't up to current code."

Gilroy said he also spoke to the mayor of Ladysmith about finding publicly owned land where the trailers could be moved, but those discussions went nowhere.

"There is a double-edged sword here," Gilroy said. "Communities say they want affordable housing, but that's not true, because they also want the higher property tax" paid by owners who turn the parks into new developments.

Several residents haven't found any place to move their homes. Bob Devine, 68, is trying to sell his trailer instead — but he expects to get only a few hundred dollars from someone who will buy it for scrap.

Devine choked back tears as he spoke of his fear of the future.

"It's the anxiety and the stress that is worse than anything," said Devine. "It's hard to believe this can happen in Canada. You know, I'm not a refugee or a criminal. It's not fair."

Devine said he worked all his life and used all of his savings to buy his mobile home to retire in seven years ago. He lives on a pension of just over $1,000 a month and pays $295 per month rent. At this point, he said, he has nowhere else to go.

"All my life I fought for the underdog because I was big enough to be able to help. Now I am the underdog," said Devine.

He said he fears ending up in a tent or small trailer in a campground, but then said, "I think I'd probably eat a bullet before that."

Vulnerable residents' health will suffer, neighbours predict

The homes at Seaside are immaculate and many have well-tended gardens. The residents said it's ideal seniors' housing, partly because it's affordable, but mostly because they look out for each other.

"To be uprooted from your community and from the life that you've had is devastating," said resident Alice Walter. "We bought our homes and paid money for them and that's all gone."

Three residents have died since the property changed hands, and some of the others believe stress was a contributing factor. Walter said she worries most about the oldest residents, like Betty Birrell, who is in her late 80s and has lived at Seaside for 60 years.

"They could start going downhill right after they move because they are ripped out of their environment that they've created," said Walter.

When asked what she might do now, Birrell answered simply, "That's a good question."

B.C.'s Active Manufactured Home Owners Association estimated 200 people are currently facing eviction from mobile homes across the province, and the majority are seniors on fixed incomes. The association predicts a growing crisis fuelled by soaring land values.

Several municipalities — Surrey, Coquitlam and Langford, for example — have brought in bylaws requiring landowners to relocate residents or pay them fair market value for their homes. Seaside residents want the province to amend the Manufactured Home Park Tenancy Act and require all owners to pay fair market value to displaced residents anywhere in B.C.

"I think there should be a blanket policy in B.C. and everywhere else where people are compensated if they are kicked out of their homes," said Joan Auld.

"We aren't given any thought by the B.C. government," said Joan Auld. "They don't give a damn about us."

Minister refuses to change law

Rich Coleman is the minister responsible for housing and said he has no plans to amend the legislation any time soon.

"There's not much I can do," said Coleman. "The reality is this is private land."

Coleman said the province commissioned a study to look at the problem, but found no solutions.

"We had a study done on the whole manufactured home area. It was a disappointing study, to be honest with you. It didn't come back with any recommendations of any use," said Coleman. "What's the fair market value when you don't own the land? Who's going to pay the compensation?"

Coleman said he expects more municipalities to take responsibility by making it harder for landowners to rezone mobile home parks.

Seaside owner Lee Gilroy said he agrees with the residents — the province should take a lead role in maintaining trailer parks as affordable social housing.

"This is a social problem, and everyone is trying to point fingers at us," said Gilroy. "The solution is at the reach of the province."

Gilroy suggested Crown land could be cleared and upgraded for trailer parks, an idea rejected by Coleman, who said Crown land is too rugged and remote.

The lack of a solution leaves many mobile home residents facing life in low-rent apartments or in the homes of their children.

"We have the same rights as rich people," said Alice Walter. "I was taught if you break something or take something away from somebody then you replace it with something of equal value or with the same thing."