Andrei moved to Canada eight years ago in search of a better life, a more comfortable life. Stratford was his chosen landing pad. He had done his research and knew there were more opportunities for a skilled programmer in Canada than in his home country, and industries in Stratford are known to be in need of employees. He landed a job with an industrial company in Stratford, but what he didn’t expect was that he would not be able to find a place to live. “In my country I can afford a home but there are no jobs, here, there are jobs but I cannot afford a home.”

The intersection of employment and housing is a critical element of the problem. In a situation with rising interest rates, low unemployment, few rentals, and high demand for the few homes left in reach, options were looking slim. Andrei spent countless hours searching the internet, digging deep in Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace, and other standard sites, only to turn up empty-handed.

Out of options, Andrei finally settled on an AirBnb out of town, knowing he will have to move again once tourist season starts up. His morning and evening commute to and from Stratford cost time and money, adding to Andrei’s already expensive living solution. “I make a fair salary, and I would be considered middle class, but I am spending, on average, 50% of my salary on my rent.” The Canadian guidelines state that one should not have to spend more than 30% of their income on housing.

And with the skyrocketing cost of living over the past year, it’s getting harder and harder to make ends meet, especially when rent is using up more and more of the money we need to live on. Andrei has resigned himself to never owning a house in his lifetime—a far cry from his dream eight years ago. Andrei is not alone: the dream of being a homeowner is becoming further out of reach for many people.

AirBnB is not a long-term solution. He notes that short-term rentals are eating up the housing supply and driving up rental prices, yet he has been living in an AirBnB because of that very same housing problem.

When asked about housing preference, Andrei said he would prefer a rental unit owned by a local landlord because he has heard one too many “horror stories.” He is also concerned that people already in the market—those who currently have their own home—are getting more say in what type of housing is being built than those who truly need a place to live. It would be best if everyone welcomed a range of housing types to meet all needs.

Andrei is grateful to be in Canada and to have a good job. And Stratford is grateful to have him, he just wishes there was stable housing available that he could afford and could call home.