Home Security

Last week I was doing a bit of research on the local rental market for a newsletter article, and the statistics that I found formed a dreary picture.

By October 2006 the vacancy rate for a 2 bedroom apartment in a multi-unit building was 0.6 percent. That means all the single moms and college students and families new to town who were looking for a place that month had to compete over just 8 apartments.

We have a 3 bedroom townhouse in Edmonton that we rent out and I looked up the going rate in the city. I don't understand how a family is supposed to be able to come up with $1500 a month for rent. A few single roommates could probably come up with it together, but who else? The single income 'family' is a dying breed.