The housing crisis in Strathmore has reached a point of desperation, according to several real estate agents.

Reps of Re/Max KEY realtor Hayley Poirier said she asked her fellow realtors to describe Strathmore and area's current housing situation in two words, and some of the answers she got back were:

  • challenging
  • high rent
  • super-low supply
  • landlords' market

The lack of availability and the high costs due to lack of supply has gotten to a point where some families simply don't have anywhere to go.

"I'm talking with a lot of people who are putting family into the basement of their property because they had not expected that they wouldn't be able to find anything for mom and dad. Or the other way around, where the parents have their adult children moving into their basement," Poirier said.

If these families don't have a home they can stay in, Poirier said it sometimes leads to them living on a campground in a trailer or motorhome, as there is simply no other option. Beyond the obvious concern and struggles of living in such a limited space, Poirier is worried about what the future brings for these families as the seasons start to change. 

"If they're at one of our local campsites, we know that there's going to be weather eventually coming in the fall time. So the pressure for those folks is: how long can they live in that trailer, if it's not a winterized trailer, until they have to think of another option? We have a lot of people who try to winterize their trailers, I've had people tell me that they're going to Canadian Tire and they're getting things to wrap around the bottom of the trailers come fall time if they have not found anything."

This issue is compounded by the fact that it's a seller's market right now, and Poirier said there's a situation in town where a landlord decided to sell his building to take advantage of that, which puts the current tenants in a difficult situation. Despite receiving "all the legal notice that they have to give," Poirier said she's heard from several of these tenants who are panicked and looking for a new place to live. Even if you do find a vacant lot, affordability may prevent you from actually moving in.

"I don't have an exact number for you, but anyone who's considering renting a property they're probably getting 30 or 40% more than they were a year ago for those rents because of the demand. They know there is going to be a line up of people wanting to rent it."

The current seller's market isn't all negative though, as it could also be a large factor in the solution to this housing crisis. Poirier strongly encourages anybody who may be interested in selling to speak with their real estate agent about the opportunity they have, as they could also take advantage of a strong market and create more supply. Not only does the seller benefit, it also creates more supply to help alleviate this issue.

Long term, other solutions on the way could include a new seniors' lodge and new townhouses being built, although both of these are not confirmed to be happening yet so it's too early to fully count on that until more details are released.

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