Fort McMurray wildfire evacuees offered cheap or free rent across Alberta
People and companies are opening their doors for their northern neighbours
Many landlords across Alberta are lowering their rent simply because of the sluggish economy, but many others are doing it as a way to help Fort McMurray wildfire evacuees.
There are hundreds of free units available to evacuees, no strings attached.
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"We're not going to cap it, I mean, people need the spaces so we'll rent to them, or give it to them until they want to start renting them," said David McIlveen with Boardwalk Rental Communities.
He said they've already filled more than 340 units in Edmonton and Calgary at no cost to evacuees, and that they won't start charging until the end of June, when the cost wil be 25 per cent off the regular rent.
'It just felt right'
A Help Fort McMurray page on rentfaster.ca listed more than 550 discounted properties across the province as of Monday afternoon.
Phillip Smith and his wife lost their home in the Fort McMurray wildfire, but found a couple online offering cheap rent.
"We're fortunate where we are right now, it's not like we're on the street, you know?" he said.
Vicky Brochu is offering a free room in the home she shares with her fiancee and six-month-old son.
She said she felt compelled to offer the space after some people from Fort McMurray helped them financially after her fiancee was attacked by a grizzly bear last year and couldn't work.
"Offering a room for free that, one, we're not using, and two, doesn't cost us anything, it just felt right, it just felt like it was the right thing to do," she said.