My name is Mike Morrison and I’m a renter.

Normally I wouldn’t be so dramatic when announcing something so trivial, but nowadays it seems to many in this city that the biggest threat to their existence are those who pay their landlord’s mortgage.

Earlier this week, aldermen John Mar and Druh Farrell both said their efforts to allow secondary suites in Calgary were all but evicted, thanks to members of council who refuse to pass any proposals that would see illegal apartments converted into legal suites.

An increase in apartments would, of course, help meet the demand of renters and slow this city’s problematic urban sprawl.

So why would aldermen like Gord Lowe and Peter Demong not want an influx of renters in their wards?  Their constituents say we’re known for abandoning broken-down vehicles, throwing never-ending parties and thereby decreasing their property value. 

I’ve lived in a couple of different places in Calgary and trust me – it’s not just renters who do this. It just so happens that we’re the easier target.

I’ve rented ever since I moved out of my parents’ house, (a qualified therapist would tell you that I was probably paying my dues there too), and I don’t think all of the blame of messy neighbourhoods can be put squarely on us renters.   Just because I’m not paying a mortgage, it doesn’t mean that I want to live in squalor either.

 I think a lot of people are assuming that renters rent because we can’t afford to own, perhaps implying that we don’t have good jobs. For me, it’s the contrary. While I can’t afford to live in Mount Royal, I’m also choosing to not live in many of Calgary’s communities because I enjoy walking to work and I like having an actual yard. 

If aldermen Lowe and Demong have something against renters, I invite them to come live with me for a while, just as long as they do their dishes.