"City of broken dreams": New Vancouver resident struggling to find a home

Imagine moving to a city like Vancouver in your mid-30s, thinking you can live alone, but instead, being forced to live with other adults, unable to find your own home.

That’s Aurore Loiseau’s story. She’s currently 34 and arrived in Vancouver in March 2021.

Aurore — what she prefers to be known by — currently has a home in Vancouver’s South Cambie area, and she knows she’s lucky because her rent is only $600 monthly. What a deal, right?

The only problem is she’s living with four other people in a shared house, which, like Aurore, is less than ideal for some.

You might also like:
• Metro Vancouver landlord asks renter for $1,150 deposit just to submit an application (PHOTOS)
• I'm trying to rent a place in Vancouver and it feels like the Hunger Games

Aurore posted on a Metro Vancouver Facebook group where people can express their needs and others who either have a rental home available or have a tip respond, and in some cases, there’s a match.

“I feel forced to live with other adults in the same situation when I’m already in my mid-30s,” she told Daily Hive.

She reflected that when her parents were that age, they had enough money to buy a house.

In July of 2021, Aurore recalls seeing basement suites between $1,100 and $1,300 and that now even those suites have gone up to $2,000 on the higher end. Aurore doesn’t have heavy demands for a place. She’s just looking for a decently priced one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment with some natural light. In her quest, she’s run into many problems.

Scams

Aurore says she has been running into scams at every turn.

“Never in my life have I seen so [many] scammers and scam listings.”

The fake or scam listings include listings that are too good to be true, fake listings with fake addresses, dealing with people who aren’t real people, and people who aren’t living in the province.

“How many times have I been asked to make a deposit just for a viewing when this is illegal?”

We covered a story last year where a Metro Vancouver renter was asked to put down a $1,150 deposit to be a viewing candidate.

Demand

Another issue Aurore is running into is competition.

“When a place is legit, and the price is interesting enough, there are dozens of people who will put themselves on the line for it.”

She also has some concerns for students.

“Since when should a student be paying $1,200 just to get a room?”

Demand is a constant in BC and a growing issue around Canada.

Finding a home in Vancouver vs. the rest of the world

Aurore is originally from France, but for work, she’s lived in several different countries over the past ten years.

“When I started to work abroad, I was living on my own in a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment that didn’t cost me more than 30% of my monthly wage, and I had always felt comfortable living.”

She reflected that she could eat out and travel when she wanted but still have enough savings for emergencies or returning to France.

“Here, you think twice before doing that.”

She called the situation here a “hectic warrior’s journey” when it had been much more accessible elsewhere.

“Because of that, it makes me seriously question my future here. Do I want to stay in shared accommodation until I reach my 50s?”

Aurore has a Master’s Degree, speaks three languages, including both official languages of Canada, and has 12 years of experience in her field. Yet, she still can’t afford to have an above-average quality of life in Canada and Vancouver.

“I’m not asking for a penthouse!”

Aurore says she’s losing hope and doesn’t want Vancouver’s image to sour or to have a reputation of a “city of so many broken dreams,” but feels like it’s getting there.

Are you a renter who resonates with Loiseau’s story? Let us know in the comments.