Howard and Joanne Smith are among more than 1,000 Island seniors waiting for housing.
The couple have lived in their home off Spring Park Road for almost 12 years. The two are now in their 70s.
"We've been waiting three-and-a-half years to get into to seniors' housing,” Joanne said.
“I know people have been waiting six and seven years and still haven't gotten in."
The two said they have looked for other options. They know construction of apartments is happening but say most of these units will be outside their price range.
"They're high-end luxury apartments for rich people," Joanne said.
Joanne and Howard are at an age where they are beginning to need housing designed for accessibility. About a year-and-a-half ago, Joanne found herself unable to walk after undergoing an operation that removed a tumour from her spine.
"The occupational therapist at the hospital here wouldn't let me back in this house until I could get up the stairs," Joanne said.
The Smiths are hoping whoever becomes their member of Parliament will be able to help the province find the resources it needs to deal with the Island’s chronic shortage of affordable housing.
Housing has been a dominant political issue in the city for over a year. With the recent influx of seniors, students and new Canadians, the city’s rental market has been unable to keep up with a growing population.
The province’s population of seniors has also been growing at a steady rate, while the rental vacancy rate has dropped to almost zero.
All five candidates running in the district – the NDP’s Joe Byrne, Conservative candidate Robert Campbell, Liberal incumbent Sean Casey, Green candidate Darcie Lanthier and Christian
Heritage Party candidate Fred MacLeod – have identified housing as the issue they hear about most frequently.
The Guardian recently spoke to a number of voters in neighbourhoods throughout the riding. While housing affordability worries were common, many also expressed concern about climate change, health care and carbon pricing.
Over in Parkdale, Benjamin Velasco believes the city’s housing woes are driven by unsustainable rates of immigration. Velasco, who works as both a realtor and a taxi driver, himself immigrated to P.E.I. 10 years ago from Mexico. But he believes the province is not equipped to handle the growth in population.
“It’s impossible to get a place here in Charlottetown,” Velasco said.
Velasco knows people who are working who cannot find rental housing. He says he has picked up people in his taxi who are employed and are living homeless, often camping overnight in parking lots.
Velasco said he is leaning towards voting Conservative.
Just down the street from the Smiths, Peter Angus also said he has concerns about housing affordability.
But Angus said he believes the next MP for Charlottetown needs to be more concerned about phasing out fossil fuels.
"First of all, we have to get off oil. Second of all, it's like an investment that doesn't have a future," Angus said.
"In 10 to 15 years, we're probably not going to be on oil anyway. Why fund all these things?"
Angus added he did not believe Canada should be in the business of buying oil pipelines.
He also said he would like to see stronger climate change commitments from the federal government. But Angus plans to be strategic with his vote.
"I would love to vote for the Green party. However, it's too risky. Just because if too many left-of-centre people vote for that, the Conservatives could get in," he said.
Over in Parkdale, SaraLyn Williams said she is leaning toward voting Green.
For her, plastic waste reduction is a top concern. She has been pleased with P.E.I.’s decision to ban single-use plastic bags but believes the measure should go further.
"I really like what they've done with the plastic ban. I'd like for them to take it a step further and ban all single-use plastics, not just grocery store plastics."
She added, "Also, it would be great if we had a better recycling system here. I know a lot of the things we say are recyclable we actually don't compost or recycle on the Island."
Williams also said rising housing prices are also a concern. The value of her recently purchased home has risen 44 per cent since 2011.
“For a jump in eight years, that's not the normal inflation rate," Williams said.
For Stu Neatby's closer look at the candidates and politics of each riding, click here
