‘I just want to move on’: Evacuated resident can’t escape UBCO tower debacle

A resident who was evacuated from her apartment in downtown Kelowna is stuck in a web of bureaucracy that has taken over her life. The resident wants to be anonymous to avoid any backlash at her job, but her story is worth sharing for the unexpected ways the downtown building debacle has continued to hamper her as she tries to move on. The University of British Columbia Okanagan had ambitious plans for a tower campus with a four-storey underground parking garage in downtown Kelowna. The university’s subsidiary, UBC Properties Trust, had a massive hole dug at 550 Doyle Avenue for the garage. The soil settling caused by the excavation damaged surrounding buildings including a subsidized apartment building called Hadgraft Wilson Place. Hadgraft Wilson Place has subsidized units geared towards folks with disabilities or fixed incomes, but some tenants paid fair market rent. In April the Hadgraft Wilson Place was deemed unsafe and residents were told they needed to evacuate. Tenants have since filed two lawsuits, one against UBC Properties Trust, and another that also includes the City of Kelowna. This anonymous resident and her son moved into Hadgraft Wilson Place in March, a month before the evacuation, because she says she was told by the property manager there was no significant damage to the building, and no risk of evacuation. However, the owner of the building, Pathways Abilities Society, had been documenting the damage since October 2023.  “They should have never even let me move in,” she said. “I feel completely blindsided.” Without knowing about the extent of the damage, she signed a lease for roughly $1,600 a month plus utilities, while some tenants in subsidized units paid less than $400. READ MORE: Evacuated resident unable to collect belongings after UBCO tower debacle https://infotel.ca/inhome/evacuated-resident-unable-to-collect-belongings-after-ubco-tower-debacle/it105721 She lived in the building for a few short weeks when she was told she needed to pack up and evacuate for five days. Now, as five days have turned into months, she has been moved from hotel to hotel, to Airbnbs, and eventually landing on a friend’s couch. She can’t get her belongings out of her apartment because the building is still unsafe. She is stuck in a lease which is tied to her insurance policy. If she cancels either her lease or the policy, she likely won't be able to eventually collect her belongings, including computers, sentimental items, and furniture.  Navigating the complex web of insurance and tenancy laws while not knowing where she will be living in the coming weeks has caused her so much financial turmoil and anxiety that she had to take a stress leave from her full time job as a medical administrator. “I'm just trying to move forward with my life,” she said. She said she just wants to be able to collect her things from her apartment and leave this nightmare behind her. Her child has moved in with his father because she doesn’t have a suitable home. She said even her health is deteriorating from the stress of it all. “I'm missing my time with him. I went on stress leave from work because I actually couldn't handle dealing with all of this,” she said. After the evacuation, Pathways put residents in hotels which worked for this resident temporarily, but after a month she decided she needed more suitable accommodation for her and her son. READ MORE: UBCO’s engineering report on downtown building came with warnings https://infotel.ca/newsitem/ubcos-engineering-report-on-downtown-building-came-with-warnings/it105130 She collected on her tenant insurance policy which allowed her to move into an Airbnb in May. Her situation became increasingly complex when Okanagan College offered evacuated residents dorm rooms over the summer while students were away. The insurance company told her it would no longer cover her accommodations if the dorm space was suitable. However, when the resident arrived at the dorms she discovered it was a studio room which would not work for her and her kid. Her insurance decided to set her up in another building until Sept. 1, but sent her an email part way through July telling her the company “could not confirm or approve any additional coverage at this time” because the company needs to review the damages as the situation develops. So now she’s stuck. She can’t terminate her lease and cancel her insurance for her apartment in Hadgraft Wilson Place because all of her belongings are in her apartment, and if she terminated she was told it would be considered abandoning her property. She has been told she can’t get insurance to buy a home because of her active insurance policy for her unit in Hadgraft Wilson Place. “I might actually not even be able to move forward and become a homeowner because I'm half blacklisted from this,” she said. She asked Pathways if it would reimburse her for the rent she paid them while they were no longer covering her accommodations, and Pathways said no. Although Pathways recently decided tenants no longer have to pay rent starting Aug. 1, she still paid three months’ rent while paying for other accommodations. READ MORE: City of Kelowna, UBCO sued over downtown building debacle https://infotel.ca/newsitem/city-of-kelowna-ubco-sued-over-downtown-building-debacle/it104753 She set up a virtual appointment with the tenancy branch to see if she could get her money back, and Pathways’ representatives didn’t appear. “Now they're making it hard for me to even move on, and get my money returned to me because they didn't even show up for the appointment,” she said. The latest email from Pathways to tenants informed them that they didn’t have to pay rent for August but there is no clear answer on when tenants will be able to go collect their things. “Sadly, the report still indicates the building is not safe to occupy therefore the best we hope for is allowing limited, scheduled access for you to be able to move your belongings,” Pathways’ director Charisse Daley said in the email. The resident said at this point she just wants a straight answer about when she can move on.   “It would give such a relief,” she said. To contact a reporter for this story, email Jesse Tomas mailto:jtomas@infonews.ca  or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor mailto:news@infonews.ca . You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom mailto:tips@infonews.ca  and be entered to win a monthly prize draw. We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. 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