“Get a house, you loser!”
These are the words that were shouted at me by a middle-aged man as I made some food in my van one afternoon in Squamish.
While I’m sure it’s not the first time someone has called me a loser, it sure is the first time someone has said it to me while minding my own business–inside of my van?
Like many in Squamish, I have had the experience of living the ‘van life’ after arriving in this beautiful town and searching for accommodation.
Prior to my arrival, I was living in my van that I had renovated with my partner, and travelling across Canada and the U.S., and, up until this point, it had never seemed to bother anyone.
For over two months, we travelled to a number of towns; not one person commented on the fact that we were living in our van–which yes, includes the act of making food and sleeping inside of it.
Which brings us to Squamish.
Now, I know there are many opinions here about people who sleep in their vans, and while some negative ones have warranted reasons, the fact of the matter is, we are no different from people living in a house or staying in a short-term vacation rental.
For many, the option to live in a van is due to the crazy prices being slapped on rentals these days. A room in a sharehouse for a couple is around $2,000 a month–utilities not included.
And if you see a good deal, there are 50 other people who have also seen it at the same time, and it becomes a race to see who can snatch it up first.
If you want to get into the market and buy a house, you’re looking at an even heftier price point. Squamish was named as one of the top communities in the Greater Vancouver region with the biggest uptick in detached home prices this year, with an average of $1,570,000.
For others, living in your van means getting to live the traveller’s lifestyle.
Many people come to Squamish to experience the outdoor wonders we have to offer, and the reality is; it is much cheaper camping out in your van for a few weeks than it is to sublet a room or rent a vacation home.
While I know some ruin the reputation for the rest of us by leaving behind garbage or unfortunately their human waste, is it really fair to lump us all in with the small few that do wrong?
I can think of many average homeowners or renters who have left a sour taste in my mouth, but I certainly don’t think everyone who lives in a house behaves this way.
Funnily enough, the day this man told me to “get a house” was the day I was waiting to move into a housesit for two weeks–something that has been a godsend as we wait for our long-term rental to become available in September.
This is the reality of trying to find housing in Squamish at the moment; months-long wait times for often average, overpriced rooms. Can you really blame people for opting to sleep in their vans?
All I ask for is a little humility towards van lifers who are doing no wrong and simply want to be a part of this beautiful community we have here in Squamish.
