Starting over and staying housed: Linda's story

Linda Fraser stands outside in front of an apartment building, similar to the one she rents in Abbotsford, British Columbia

British Columbia — Jul 2025

Story by Monet Lamphere-Ma

July 18, 2025

Stable housing is important and a must-have. I normally make sure I have the rent money, but because of the scam I did not.”

Linda Fraser

Recipient of a grant from the MCC BC Fraser Valley Rent Bank

Linda was digging through drawers and envelopes, searching for every bit of money she could find. “I had to scour for all the money I had at home…here, there, there,” she said. “I had to use less money for my groceries.” The rent was due soon, and she was running out of time.

Linda Fraser lived in North Vancouver until 2015, when she relocated to Abbotsford in search of more affordable housing. This move, made later in life, meant starting over completely. She arrived in a city where she didn’t have any friends or family and had to rebuild her life from scratch.

To remain financially independent, Linda took on work. She held a cashier position for a time but chose to leave due to concerns about the workplace environment. Later, she took a job stocking shelves at a local dollar store.

At an age when many are retired, Linda continued working to meet her basic needs.

Since 2022, Linda has been out of work. While managing her limited income carefully, she was targeted in two separate online scams — both promising investment returns and ultimately resulting in financial losses.

“I was in a [financial] program and I thought I would make some money on it, but it turned out to be a scam. I had already invested $1,000. I made more money on it, but after days and months went by, I couldn’t withdraw it, so I found out that they were a scam. And that’s when they took my rent money.”

The second scam followed a similar pattern. Another scammer promised financial gains, and she again lost access to the funds she believed had been invested legitimately. “I didn’t expect it to be a scam, and it was! They’re all around these scams.”

She tried to manage her monthly expenses on her own, stretching every dollar she could find.

Randall Koski enjoys a burger and donut at the weekly barbecue hosted by the MCC BC Homelessness Prevention and Outreach program

Weekly community meals provide support to people at risk of losing housing who often have to choose between food and rent.

In this photo, Randall Koski enjoys a burger and a donut. He just started joining the barbecues after the loss of his wife and son.

The MCC BC Homelessness Prevention and Outreach team hosts the meals at MCC Centre in Abbotsford every Thursday, partnering with local churches like King Road Church and South Abbotsford Church, which provide extra resources like showers, transportation, and shelter. The food is served by volunteers—many of whom have benefitted from the program—making it a true community effort!

Keep Reading Show Less

add

A pair of hands adds condiments to a burger at the weekly barbecue ran by MCC BC's Homelessness Outreach and Prevention program

Each week, ‘Meals & Friendship’ volunteers prepare and serve hot, flavourful meals for people who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.

Rick selects clothing at the weekly barbecue hosted by MCC BC Homelessness Prevention and Outreach program

At the weekly barbecue, Rick selects clothes that meet his needs. Each week, the event also offers hot meals, access to showers, community referrals including referrals to the MCC BC Rent Bank—part of the many ways the program helps people stay housed and supported.

Keep Reading Show Less

add

Facing a looming rent deadline and still coming up short, Linda knew she needed help. That’s when she turned to the MCC BC Fraser Valley Rent Bank, a program she had first heard about years earlier in North Vancouver, but hadn’t needed until now. This time, it was a neighbor who encouraged her to reach out.

About the Rent Bank

Since 2010, MCC BC has operated a ren keep reading...

Since 2010, MCC BC has operated a rent bank in the Fraser Valley, and in 2024, launched a second rent bank serving Central and Northern BC. These programs offer emergency, interest-free loans and grants to help people facing short-term financial crises stay housed. They are part of the BC Rent Bank network, a province-wide initiative launched in 2019 to support local rent banks across British Columbia. With strong community support and a high repayment rate, these loans continue to help others in need.

Linda recalled that the application process was simple for her.

“To apply for the grant, I had called up Jane from MCC and had an appointment with Nick. He asked me questions and at a later date, told me I was accepted.”

While waiting for the rent bank process to be completed—which took just five days—her brother stepped in to cover her immediate rent. “Luckily, my brother heard about it, and he fronted me the money, just for the rent at the time. So as soon as I got my money from CPP, I went back to my brother to pay him back.” She was able to get her rent paid on time. “Thankfully, I had my rent check in time for the property manager.”

But the following month’s rent came just as quickly and brought just as much stress. This time, she couldn’t rely on her brother again. He had already stepped in once, and she didn’t want to ask him to do more than he could manage. Without another source of emergency funds, the grant from the rent bank became critical.

When the grant came through, she used the cheque to pay for her next month’s rent. “After hearing I got the grant, I could breathe easier.”

“Stable housing is important and a must-have. I normally make sure I have the rent money but because of the scam I did not have it.”

Recognizing the impact of scams on Linda’s situation, the Rent Bank team advised her to report the incidents to the appropriate authorities and followed up to provide resources on fraud prevention. This additional support helped Linda become more aware of how to protect herself moving forward.

Linda is grateful to the donors who made that support possible. “I’d like to thank each and every donor for making a donation because they help people keep their house, their shelter.”