One Whitehorse family's yearlong search for a home

Megan Breen, her fiancé, and their three children are due to be out of their rental home by June 30. But after a year of searching in Whitehorse, she hasn't been able to find an affordable home that can accommodate her family.

Breen said she constantly checks Facebook for rentals.

"As soon as something becomes available, there's about 50 comments right away," she said. "There's just so many people that are in the same boat."

As a temporary measure, her fiancé Ash Jordan's mother and grandmother each have a single bedroom to offer. The family has also considered moving into their motor home.

"When I told the kids we might be living in our motor home in the summer time, they were so happy," she said with a laugh. "My family's done it. My mom, she had five kids and we lived in a fifth wheel. And it was pretty tight."

Breen has lived in Whitehorse for nine years. Jordan grew up in Yukon. Their children are eight, six, and two-and-a-half years old.

Limited pet-friendly options

Early last year, Breen's landlords decided to sell the place she was living in with her family.

She has posted a plea more than once on Facebook looking for any leads. She said she got one offer for a place for $2,500 rent plus utilities.

"That's more than I make in a month," said Breen, who works two customer service jobs.

The fact that they have a dog and cat doesn't make the search easier.

"I would take anything that has at least two bedrooms and that would allow me to not give up our family dog," she said, describing her corgi/Jack Russell mix named Hendrix. 

The Yukon Tenancy Act says landlords are only obligated to accommodate service animals.

Housing solutions

Rent in Whitehorse has been on the rise in recent years.

The average rent in the city is $1,116 a month — not far behind the $1,295 average rent in Vancouver, which is known for its expensive housing. These statistics are according to a national survey by the BC Non-Profit Housing Association. The same survey found the lowest-income renters in Whitehorse on average spend 54 per cent of their gross income on housing.

But some solutions may be on the horizon.

In March, Ta'an Kwach'an's Da Daghay Development Corporation opened its third rent-to-income building in the Whistle Bend neighbourhood. It plans to build two more buildings by the end of 2018.

Ben Asquith, Da Daghay's CEO, said social housing can alleviate pressure on the rest of the housing market for families like Breen's.

"People that need supportive housing are in rental units," said Asquith. "So obviously, the cost is going to increase and then you're taking away rental units from people in the market that don't need supportive housing."

Last month, the Yukon government also announced $3.6 million for affordable housing. These projects aim to ease the territory's housing market in the coming years.

An uncertain future

But for now, Breen and her family have less than two weeks to find an affordable solution.

The struggle to find a home has affected other aspects of their lives. The pair was supposed to get married this August.

"I can't plan a wedding and try to find a place to live," she said.

"It means now I have to wait another year. But it's OK. I just have to focus on the family first and get married later."