Housing experiences of single mothers in Kelowna's rental housing market

Abstract

This exploratory study examines the housing experiences of single mothers in the rental housing market of Kelowna, British Columbia, a fast growing mid-size city with high housing costs. We draw on data from a survey of 30 low income single mothers and semi-structured interviews with 11 key informants to elaborate on the numerous barriers that some single mothers face in this rental housing market. Of these, the most cited issues are affordability, finding housing that is adequate in size, and discrimination. The single mothers' coping strategies reflect difficult trade-offs, typically sacrificing sleeping space and privacy for safety, convenient location, and play space. Both the survey respondents and key informants called on senior governments to fund more affordable housing; and remedies such as centralised housing services and government partnerships are discussed.