why i’ve had multiple headaches this week
It has been A WEEK.
On Monday, the contractor we've been working with to plan the renovation of our apartment told us that all of our permits have been approved and that the project can start at the beginning of June. Yay!
While this is fantastic news, it has also put me on the hunt for a short-term rental. It feels like I have been on an endless scrolling and clicking and photo-zooming journey to try and find a place on AirBnB or Rent It Furnished that is:
Pet friendly
Within the city of Vancouver so it's easy for us to keep and eye on the project and get our mail
Big enough for us all (husband + two dogs) to fit and for me to work from
Within our budget
Accessible
Getting all four of these elements in one place is a challenge. And, unfortunately, it's not easy to qualify or disqualify a place by just looking at the listing. Oftentimes, it's not clear if the unit is in a building that is accessible, so I have to ask for clarification from the listing owner before I can save it to the wish list.
I've already had a few tell me that “Oh, no, the unit is actually up a few steps.” Or “Oh, yes, the building was built in 2021, but they did't add an elevator.”
Sigh.
Plus, I don't know if you've noticed this before on apartment listings, but a lot of the images that are put up are either stretched or cropped weirdly, so it's hard to take them at face value. This means I ideally want to be able to see the place before I commit to spending thousands of dollars a month on something.
AND I will also hasten to note that even if a place is listed as “accessible,” sometimes the people listing these spots don't actually know what it means to offer an accessible unit. It may be step free, yes, but if it's a small space crammed full of furniture, then that won't work for me and my wheelchair. On the flip side, some people hesitate to list their places as accessible even if they are, so that limits the available options if I add an accessibility filter.
All this to say: I am very up close and personal with the challenges of booking accessible short-term rentals at the moment, and it's exhausting.
It's getting me to a place where I might jus say “Yes” to the next place that looks halfway decent just to get it over and done with. And then spend the next three to four months compromising on my comfort as a result. (Fortunately my husband is here to remind me that I deserve to be in a place that works for me.)
Or we'll end up blowing our budget for accommodation out of the water to get a really big space that we know will work.
Neither is ideal. And it's the balancing act that a lot of disabled people have to manage when looking for a new place to stay at or live in. There's always a compromise.
I know I'm fortunate to come at this dilemma with a lot of privilege and flexibility, so if I'm struggling with this, imagine what it's like for anyone that doesn't have the financial resources to compromise on budget. That often means having to compromise on their wellbeing, comfort, and access — and no one deserves to live like that.
This is a big reason why the Canadian government needs to do more to support disabled individuals in poverty — not just with better financial support, but with more accessible housing.
Anyway, keep your fingers crossed for me.
