Critical shortage of affordable housing in Nipissing, group says
A non-profit group that helps the homeless and people at risk of homelessness is sounding the alarm over the lack of housing options in the District of Nipissing.
A case in point is a North Bay woman who is desperately looking for a home after her landlord sold the property where she was living.
Time is running out for Debbie Bellemare, who has only two months left to find a new place. Her last day in her current home is Sept. 30.
"I'm terrified because I don't want to be homeless,” said Bellemare.
“I'm sure there are lots of other people in the same boat as me.”
Finding a new place to live has not been easy, she said. Everything available so far is out of her price range.
Many families are in a similar situation, says Low Income People Involvement of Nipissing (LIPI), a group dedicated to fighting homelessness.
In recent months, many landlords sold the homes they converted into apartments because the market is booming.
"So we've lost a substantial amount of units in this latest crazy housing mode,” said LIPI executive director Lana Mitchell.
“It's absolutely ridiculous and it's extremely stressful on anyone dealing with trying to maintain housing or acquire housing."
LIPI is currently seeing just under 1,000 families on a waitlist for geared-to-income rental housing.
The group estimates that around 1,600 families in the district are struggling to find a suitable place to live, a figure that doesn’t include people in crisis.
Mitchell points to two fires in West Nipissing in the past 10 days that displaced families. She said affordable housing options are needed as soon as possible to save people from ending up on the streets.
"We're behind the eight-ball and it's not because people aren't trying or working hard,” she said.
“It's because it's gone crazy in so many different directions."
As for Bellemare, she worries she will have to either go to a shelter or live in a tent.
"I don't know what else I can do," she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.