A St. John’s man on the brink of homelessness is facing the possibility of losing his son due to a lack of housing options for people with kids.
Tristen Keats, who turns 27 this month, lives with his mother and his three-year-old son, Jacoby, in a small basement apartment that is advertised for only one person.
“Here we are now with people living on the side of the street in tents,” Keats said. “Me and him are just about there now, right? We got a couple months.”
They are running out of time, as his mother’s landlord has given them a few months to find a new place.
He and his son are among the many people caught in the housing crisis that is sweeping across the country and hitting Newfoundland and Labrador. Social housing and emergency shelters are in high demand, leading many people to take the only home they’ve known for months — a tent — and station themselves in public spaces around St. John’s.
And if facing homelessness is tough, when children are involved, the struggle can be worse.
Meanwhile, government budgets millions to support, finance, assist or prop up mega corporations and companies in the name of the public interest.
The government should be able to afford to help people like this … you know why? … because they won’t be able to afford dealing with the aftermath of what will happen to these people and their children if they are not taken care of. Just look to the future and see how a former drug addict or alcoholic with no options will turn out … now imagine what will happen to their child. The sad lives they will be forced to endure will cause the government to spend tens of thousands of dollars on them in law enforcement, treatment, medical, incarceration, legal system, child care system and emergency treatment.
Government should just help people in these desperate situations no matter what … because its far cheaper to fund them now, then it is to pay for the services to deal with them later. It doesn’t matter if you are Liberal or Conservative, left or right … it’s an economic question … do you want to pay a little to help this person out now? … or pay the same amount or more later when their lives fall apart?
We do have welfare bums and social service scalpers in this country … and they are the millionaires and the companies and corporations that government constantly gives money to in the vain hope that these leeches will give back that money which they never do. They’ll hole up their wealth in a foreign offshore tax haven and not pay for anything. Meanwhile, people that actually need the help are ignored and cast off as unworthy of any support because we are all taught that it isn’t worth it.
Give them guaranteed income, give them housing, give them education, give them health care, give them supports … it’s investing in the country’s future. If you don’t, you are investing in the country’s degradation. Help people now and they and their families will grow to help future generations and more individuals later.
Unfortunately politics works counter to economics. You can bankrupt an entire country, yet if you can convince people that it was someone else’s fault, you’ll still get reelected and get a nice fat 7 figures while everything around you burns to the ground.
There is no incentive to make things better beyond pure patriotism, which we all know is pretty damn short in supply in the first place (and always has been at the top). The only incentive for the leaders is how to gain and keep all the benefits of the rich and powerful as they enjoy 5 star accommodations everywhere they go while receiving kickbacks from all the political favours they do to the corporations that helped them get to where they are.
We only get band-aid solutions because they know they can get away with just that. Because all they have to do is yell loud enough that they’re trying really hard to solve the problem, and together with billions spent on propaganda campaigns, enough people are convinced that the system is somewhat working that serious change never happens.
All the while, we’re dealing with a mental health and homeless crisis that you’d more expect from somewhere like Somalia or Myanmar.
Fuck that landlord. I hope they’re flooded out of their own home and nobody lends them a hand. You are a cancer on society.
The good solution is more co-op housing and low income housing. The housing market is fucked, a good portion of it is privatized. The landlord may be shitty but who would want to take the risk to lose their assets because they let someone that does not care about anything into their appartment? I did this mistake once, helping someone I didn’t know. Weird dude, low income but hey, everyone is different. I almost had to sell my property because the dude wrecked the place. He was beating his girlfriend, smoking weed inside, making noise, breaking all the rules, you name it. But man, the dude looked pretty normal, a bit weird but overall, normalish.
It’s not fair for everyone because landlord cannot take too many risk. Someone that looks shady like this guy won’t have many chances in the private market. Ideally, housing market shouldn’t be a market. It should be something else because like me, I wouldn’t take a guy like this in my property and the reason is I don’t want to take risk of losing it all because I have a big hearth.
I don’t like the way this comment is framed.
You had an irresponsible tenant who wrecked your shit.
How is that the same as a 27 year old man and his son getting kicked out of his mom’s basement apartment?
It’s not the same thing but you don’t know the other person. You only see a dude with a lot of tattoo, no girlfriend, a child. He can’t find any appartment because of his looks and track record. His credit is probably shit. We don’t know the reason why he can’t stay there. Why wouldn’t the landlord allow it is strange. In any case, housing market that is too privately owned will cause this shit. Private owner cannot take asamy risks as a co-op or a gov founded place.
What lol? I’m not complaining, I’m explaining why a landlord would t want someone like him. Can you read or comprehend what’s going on?
Fuck off you leech on society.
Do NOT be asking other people if they can’t read after you’ve repeatedly demonstrated your poor grasp of the English language.
Apparently someone having tattoos is a good enough reason not to rent to them?
Please bitch. Understand you are a stain on society. Congrats on owning enough property to leech off of someone else’s hard earned money.
Fuck all the way off.
Go fly a kite. Do whatever the fuck you want I don’t give a shit.
lol, good arguments my dude. Touch some grass and get back in reality.
That’s the sad reality we live in. You look like a criminal or a drug addict ? Then doors are gonna be closed on you. That’s exactly why I’m saying housing should be coop or gov owned.
Read my comments again and understand what I’m saying before commenting. It’s not what you think it is. Learn to fucking read moron.
So you’re a landlord, then?
Yes, are you going to kill me or something?
Only if you ask nicely.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
A St. John’s man on the brink of homelessness is facing the possibility of losing his son due to a lack of housing options for people with kids.
Tristen Keats, who turns 27 this month, lives with his mother and his three-year-old son, Jacoby, in a small basement apartment that is advertised for only one person.
Social housing and emergency shelters are in high demand, leading many people to take the only home they’ve known for months — a tent — and station themselves in public spaces around St. John’s.
When Jacoby was born three years ago, Keats said, he worked hard to sober up and take care of him full time.
The third option is an emergency shelter, but they are increasingly difficult to lock down and come with a heartbreaking catch: there’s no place for Jacoby.
St. John’s has emergency shelters for women and children experiencing domestic violence, but single parents facing homelessness have limited options.
The original article contains 723 words, the summary contains 146 words. Saved 80%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
Here’s a though - want to be a landlord? Only allowed for purpose built rentals. No more buying up condos and SFH to rent them out.
Don’t even start with the “But they are providing a service by adding to rental stock!” or “But there are good landlords!” or even the “What about the people who want to rent?!”. Great, build a triplex or more, otherwise let people who actually want to live in a home with the stability it provides and not pad your fucking retirement.
Once we have a housing surplus we can talk about changing things again.
