Sometimes hard work is still not enough

A renter for almost 25 years faces almost overwhelming obstacles finding a new place to live
Daphne Bramham, Vancouver Sun
Published: Thursday, April 24, 2008

Dorothy Kerr has always worked hard, paid her bills and her rent on time and saved what little she could from her paycheque. It was never enough for a down payment on a home of her own.

Kerr has lived in Vancouver for nearly 25 years and most of that time she's worked in temporary clerical positions for the City of Vancouver. In December, the 49-year-old Kerr was 13 days away from being homeless.

"I absolutely never believed this could have happened to me," she said. "I'm a homebody. I'm house-proud and I just kept thinking, how can this be happening to me? I actually thought that I was going to end up outside United We Can [in the Downtown Eastside] selling my Swarovski crystal on the street. Why can't somebody like me get a clean, decent place to live?"

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