[Cowperson]

"We're not looking for hand-outs, sir, we're looking for solutions," said Peter Tyleman, 55, whose apartment is being turned into luxury condos.

Actually, he is looking for a handout . . . . . because a handout is the only way a person who is non-competitive within the most competitive economic climate in North America can continue to stay in that location.

And that's the issue . . . . non-competitive people who through circumstance or their own doing have put themselves in a position of vulnerability (renters) at a moment in history when they're effectively and rapidly being priced out of the market.

That's not the problem of the property owner and its a monumental cheap shot to talk about "gouging." If the property owner can find renters or buyers at the prices he's asking, then "gouging" isn't the word that should be used.

Last year, I bought a small house in rural Saskatchewan and put a homeless relative into it . . . . . simultaneously removing him from trying to compete in the Calgary job market where he was hopelessly non-competitive (for mental health reasons) and putting him in a place where he had a chance to fend for himself (an experienced farm worker).

I saw no point in giving him handouts, putting him in motels on cold winter days, etc, etc . . . . . simply continuing the cycle seemed like a stupid waste of money.

He's happy and, in a way, he's in subsidized housing.

So, I'd say the chronic housing shortage in Calgary isn't a problem that should be foisted on landlords.

If Calgary companies need workers so bad then they should pay them more so they can afford the current housing or, if that makes the business non-competitive, then the business owner has the option of moving somewhere else as well.

If 82 year-old Aunt Alice can't afford the rent in downtown Edmonton then, too bad, she probably needs to pack up and move to an apartment in Oyen or something.

Or . . . . . the government can make a political decision to subsidize certain people like Aunt Alice at current market rates in downtown Edmonton.

Life sucks if you're one of these non-competitive people (and I saw plenty of them while volunteering at the Calgary Drop-In centre yesterday) but there will always be a certain segment of the population being dislocated to more competitive markets.

Rent controls would simply aggravate the problem. Subsidization at current market rates is a political decision that wouldn't penalize landlords, the burden being shared by society.

Cowperson