Paul Paydafar and Elizabeth Scorse have been neighbours for the last two years.
Living side-by-side in small but quaint, one-bedroom family homes in the Fair Haven United Church cottages on Rumble Street, the two are more than thrilled with their accommodations.
Paydafar, 57, moved into the Burnaby low-income unit two years ago and has found the peace he’s needed to deal with medical issues.
“The minute I saw this place, I knew it was for me,” he told the NOW.
Scorse, at the age of 86, is still independent and often tends to her garden outside the front door.
“It’s like a little house in the country,” she said.
But the two could find themselves out of their homes by 2017 if plans by the landlord go through.
The cottages are owned by Fair Haven United Church Homes, a faith-based non-profit group that provides affordable housing for seniors in Burnaby and Vancouver.
Residents living in the cottages have been advised the houses will be redeveloped and to look for an alternative place to live during the construction.
But for Paydafar, he’s not interested in moving and is instead hoping the organization will reconsider the plans.
He currently pays $543 a month rent, and since he’s not currently working, he said he can’t afford market housing.
The organization has offered him a spot in a multi-unit building right beside the cottages, but he’s concerned about the noise from tenants and the expected construction.
He said he also can’t afford the $900 cost for the market rental rate.
“I’m really angry and upset,” he said, also adding when he got into the cottage two years ago, he was never told of the redevelopment plans. “This is a very difficult situation for me.”
Scorse is also hoping the organization will change its mind and is waiting to see what they’ll do before making a decision. However, she too suggested she couldn’t afford the market prices for a place to live.
Paydafar and Scorse recently gave the NOW a tour of their homes, which appear to be well maintained and in good shape. They can’t understand why the cottages would be torn down.
“This is the last of its kind, you won’t see anything like this again,” Paydafar said.
But beyond the rent, the two talk about the relationships between all the neighbours.
For instance, when Scorse broke her hip earlier in the year, it was a neighbour who called 911 for help.
“I hope Fair Haven will leave the cottages standing. They are the best place available in my mind for seniors,” she said.
In response, Fair Haven’s CEO Carol Mothersill explained the cottages are beyond their useful life cycle and need to be replaced.
“We know we have to do something with those cottages. They’re lovely and cute and everybody loves them, but they were built in 1949,” she said.
Mothersill explained the organization is exploring the potential redevelopment of the cottages in order to provide better and more affordable housing options.
But exactly what will be built in place of the cottages has yet to be determined.
Mothersill indicated the plans are in the early stages and the exact number of units to be built is not known, adding discussions will take place in the next few months with architects to see what can go on the site.
As for the tenants, she said Fair Haven is committed to offering affordable housing but didn’t know what the rental rates would be in the new development.
Mothersill also said the organization is committed to helping the tenants find new accommodations including offering to move the cottage tenants into the nearby apartments when units become available.
She noted three people have already moved into the apartments.
“Those buildings realistically are not going to be there forever, and the tenants will need to relocate during the construction,” she said.
