Guest blogger Shelley Sayer, director of housing, Ehrlo Housing

When a long day winds down you stare at the clock counting down the minutes until it’s time to go home. You look forward to walking into the door of your home— having a shower, grabbing a bite to eat, and vegging on the couch. The call of your bed is almost too loud to ignore, and you crawl in beneath the sheets cocooned in a place of comfort and safety.

But some don’t know this feeling. They dread the end of the day, and get anxious as the minutes approach dark. They don’t know where they will sleep, they don’t know if they will find a bed or safe place for themselves or their children to rest their heads. They make phone calls, send texts, and knock on doors in hopes that someone’s couch is free or a basement floor is empty.

The harsh reality of homelessness and the “couch surfing” lifestyle often affects society’s most vulnerable; it’s those with mental health conditions, single parents, low-income families, seniors, and new immigrants.

Affordable housing is difficult to come by, especially in a Saskatchewan city where the economy is booming and job opportunities are bountiful. There are those who fall between the cracks and others who can’t find their footing. Saving the $1,800 or more for rent and damage deposits or gathering former landlord references can be an impossible challenge to those living on social assistance or getting by paycheque to paycheque.

Ehrlo Housing is among five organizations in the city of Regina that provide affordable housing, and make it possible for individuals and families to have a place to call home.

Four properties (105 units) make up the Ehrlo Housing portfolio. There’s Lakeshore Village, which caters to low-income families; Washington Park Place, which is home to single mothers; McEwen Manor, which provides housing to people affected by persistent mental health conditions; and Chaz Court, which gives young people coming out of care an affordable place to live.

The Lakeshore Village and Washington Park Place properties are highly sought after by low-income families. With rent in the $700 range for a one or two bedroom apartment, the properties are well-below the rental rates of Regina. In June 2015, the occupancy rate at Washington Park was 91 per cent and occupancy at Lakeshore Village was 95 per cent.

There is currently no waitlist for an apartment at Washington Park Place but that won’t last long with word of mouth travelling quickly and referrals coming from community organizations such as My Aunt’s Place, Balfour Tutorial, and Scott Collegiate. Lakeshore Village has a steady waitlist of 70 applicants, all of which have indicated a preference to live at that location.

Ehrlo Housing makes every attempt to fill apartments on a first-come, first-serve basis however interviews are conducted prior to tenancy to ensure safety and security of the neighbours and community. Housing staff meet the applicants to get a sense of who they are, what their goals are, and to learn about their situation. Many applicants are on social assistance, have had trauma or a “rough go” in the past, or find it challenging to come up with references. Ehrlo Housing works with applicants to make renting possible, but only if they are willing and committed.

The average length of tenancy at Washington Park Place is between four to six months, while the length of stay at Lakeshore Village is longer, a couple years on average.

Ehrlo Housing does its best to work through waitlists in a timely manner and fill vacancies as soon as possible because many tenant applicants don’t own a telephone or have a permanent address, making it difficult to get into contact when something does become available.

Ehrlo Housing fills a need that has continued to grow since 1997 when its first property (Lakeshore Village) opened its doors. Affordable housing is a savoir to those who fight to find a place to live, and struggle to stay off the streets.