Saskatoon mom will not pay hire till Sask. Housing offers with rodents

A Saskatoon mom struggling to get Saskatchewan Housing to deal with the rodent infestation on her behalf has decided not to pay rent until the problem is fixed.

Dominika Kosowska fears she will be evicted from her Sturby Place apartment for non-payment, but that isn’t stopping her fight.

Kosowska recently bought an air purifier to keep the air in her apartment clean, as she says the building is infested with rats and mice. She recently caught a rat in a glue trap and hears it scratching the walls at night.

“With my last rent money, I bought an air purifier so we can breathe some kind of clear air here,” Kosowska told CTV News.

When that rent wasn’t paid to Saskatchewan Housing this month, it received a letter. Saying she has to pay rent to make sure she keeps her tenancy. Kosowska takes a stand and refuses to pay until the proper demolition is complete at the Eastview Building.

Since her story aired on CTV News on Nov. 2, she has received dozens of messages and social media posts.

Kosowska admits some were hurtful by saying this is an immigration issue.

Others were encouraging – they came from those in similar situations. This includes Indigenous residents living on the reserve, as well as newcomers and others in Sask. housing, she added.

This answer gave her the impetus to continue to serve others.

“What I wanted was to open the door to talking about unacceptable living conditions, because they don’t just affect immigrants, but also indigenous people or people with mental or physical disabilities,” she says.

Her local MLA even received calls after the story aired.

“She is really being left alone to deal with this problem. My office has offered and will continue to offer her any support she needs,” Saskatoon Eastview MLA Matt Love told CTV News.

In the last week she had a visit from a Sask. Apartment wrecker who set more traps. Something she says hasn’t worked in the past.

“He also scanned the walls with a heater camera and he said they pass between the walls and vents.” 6

There was no revelation there, she says.

The site manager also visited her and offered to relocate her entirely to another building, but that location was problematic as it was across town in Holiday Park. She can’t afford movers, so it’s not possible.

Roger Parenteau, executive director of housing operations at Saskatchewan Housing Corporation, told CTV News:

“We cannot give any specific information about the situation of a tenant. As part of our rental agreement, we require payment of rent at the beginning of the month. If a tenant is concerned about not being able to pay their rent, we encourage them to contact their local housing authority.

We are always here to help and encourage any renter who suspects their property has a pest problem to contact their local housing authority immediately. We take the safety and well-being of our tenants seriously.”

Kosowska wants to move out of Sask. Live and says she recently had job interviews, which makes that seem like a possibility.