The weather is getting colder – especially at night. At this time of year my thoughts turn towards those less fortunate, specifically those living in subpar rental properties. That may surprise you.
The reason for this is simple. Many are living in low income rental properties in Summerland.
These properties are not always kept in good condition and I would venture to say, don’t conform to any safety codes.
The people who live there are usually on a fixed income or they are working but can’t afford much for rent.
Last year, the Review did a story regarding people renting abandoned cars and RVs. These people were made to live in conditions that are disgusting. No running water, no power, no dignity. In addition, they were charged considerable rents. This action is despicable.
I know there are many generous, law abiding landlords out there. I’m not picking a fight with them. I’m picking a fight with those that rent properties that aren’t fit to house a rat. These landlords need to be held to account.
We see these kinds of rentals every day. They are in our neighbourhoods. We think it’s someone else’s problem to deal with but it is our collective problem. We are the solution.
There are a couple of ways to solve this issue.
One is asking our municipal council to pass a good neighbour bylaw that would enforce minimum standards for the upkeep of property. If this bylaw is already on the books, then asking council to enforce it.
The second is to learn who the owns the offending property and get in touch with them directly.
This can be even more effective than a bylaw because you are holding them accountable as a neighbour. If the neighbourhood is keeping tabs on the property and the people that live there, it is harder for the landlord to ignore.
People deserve dignity no matter what their lot in life.
When someone is living in unsafe, unsanitary conditions, their dignity is gone.
When their dignity is gone, desperation kicks in and sometimes they resort to crime to pay the bills.
New York City, under Mayor Rudy Giuliani, was famous for a criminological theory they called: The Broken Window Theory.
The premise of this theory was by fixing broken windows, repairing any vandalism damage to property would decrease petty crime, break and enters and theft.
By decreasing petty crime, more serious crimes would also be prevented. So they went about forcing land and building owners to maintain their property. In doing so, New York City realized a noticeable reduction in petty and serious crime.
This theory has holes in it but there is no denying that unkept, ‘slum’ rental properties need to be cleaned up and made acceptable for human occupancy.
We need to restore dignity to our neighbours, for the greater good of our citizens and our society.
o o o
In my last column, I wrote about Summerland business and the lack of a couple of categories business.
I mentioned my desire for a diner-type restaurant that had a long counter and served burgers and milkshakes.
I was held to account for those comments by two local businesses that serve said burgers and milkshakes — Alison from Santorini’s and Steve from All You Need Is One.
Thanks Alison and Steve for keeping me honest and I apologize for overlooking your delicious food. That was not my intent.
As always, I appreciate any feedback I receive about my columns.
Rob Murphy is the sales manager of the Summerland Review.
