A Saint John, N.B., senior couple who refused to live in a public housing unit in the city because of a bed bug infestation has been opting to camp in a tent outdoors for months now.
Thanks to the efforts of a local woman who is offering below-market rent, Wilfred Patterson and Dale Keddy will be moving into a new home.
“I couldn’t picture myself when I was younger to be 71 and panhandling on the street and living in a tent,” said Patterson, who added they felt they had no choice but to move because he was having adverse reactions to all the bites.
“Public housing was horrible. I mean it was clean from what we could see, but it was full of bed bugs.”
Keddy was a nurse for over 24 years but says she was no longer able to work after having three back surgeries.
Meanwhile, Patterson sold his country home a few years ago but his savings disappeared quickly.
Today, they each receive about $730 per month in assistance, and were paying $215 a week just to camp — excluding the cost of water and electricity.
While living in a shelter was an option, they say it was simply wasn’t safe enough.
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“(There was) violence, fighting, stealing, lice,” said Keddy.
When Christine Brittain heard their story, she opened her door to offer an affordable unit. Brittain has purchased two trailer homes now, and provides below-market rent at 30 per cent of a tenant’s income.
“We’re all humans and we should all be treated the same,” she said.
“We need people in rehabilitation that meets their needs, not the cookie cutter. We need post-rehabilitation services for mental health and addiction; we need safe, affordable housing. We need caring communities.”
Keddy and Patterson will be able to move in their new home next week — just in time for Patterson’s long-delayed medical procedure.
“The recovery takes six weeks after the operation and you’re not suppose to do anything strenuous at all and living in a tent is very strenuous, especially on someone my age,” he said.
The pest issue in the province’s public housing unit was recently raised in an auditor general’s report released in June.
During the audit period, the report said there were 3,045 requests related to pest issues such as bed bugs, mice, rats and roaches, and 53 per cent of the complaints were not resolved within the agency’s targets. About 41 per cent of the pest complaints came from the Saint John region.
David Hickey, minister responsible for the New Brunswick Housing Corp., said in response at the time that government wants to bring about “fundamental change” and ensure public housing is maintained better.
The province has committed $59.4 million this year on public housing maintenance.
For Keddy and Patterson, they want to share a message that their situation isn’t unique, but could become a reality to anyone.
“We’ve talked to so many people who are paycheque to paycheque. They are one paycheque away from being unhomed, one paycheque away. And they are working full-time,” said Keddy.
“Homeless people deserve respect, not to be looked down upon like we’re nothing.”
— with a file from The Canadian Press
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