United Way Perth-Huron continues drawing attention to the impacts high housing costs have on Perth-Huron residents. This summer, United Way is sharing videos of two Perth-Huron residents who faced challenges with evictions and high rents in the region.

“Rents have gone through the roof, to the point where, unfortunately, many workers simply cannot afford the housing they need,” said Ryan Erb, United Way Executive Director. “For minimum wage workers and young professionals alike, working hard isn’t enough when prices and rents are so high.”

The Workers Need Housing videos profile two workers from Perth-Huron. Emily is an accountant from Perth County. She was evicted at the height of the pandemic and the new unit she found was $1,000 more per month, while being much less desirable. Victoria is a minimum wage worker from Huron County. She and her husband pay more than half their income for a small one-bedroom unit.

The videos were sponsored by the Four County Labour Market Planning Board. Research by the Planning Board shows that housing is the top barrier to hiring for local employers. Perth-Huron has chronically low unemployment and a persistent shortage of workers in fields like retail, hospitality and healthcare.

“With a low pool of available workers in our region, employers need workers to fill many vacancies,” said Dana Soucie, Four County Labour Market Planning Board Executive Director. “In order to attract and retain the workforce required, we must address the affordable housing crisis.”

The videos will be shared on social media, where viewers can share their support for increased funding for non-profit housing.

“We believe the best way to get workers the housing they need is to provide it directly at a rent they can really afford,” added Erb. “That’s why workforce housing is a key component of all the projects we’re developing with our new non-profit housing organization, United Housing.”

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