82-year-old Sechelt woman living in car

An 82-year-oldSechelt, B.C.,woman who has beenliving in her car for six monthssaysall she wants is a clean,safe and affordable place to live.

DorisAnthonyszsaysshe can't make ends meet on her $1,300 per month pension, especially in atown where the lack of affordable housing in the community 50 kilometres northwest of Vancouver is a growing problem

"I ask the health department on a regular basis if they can help me find a house, ask them ifthey can help me," she told CBC News from her car.

"Seems to me after 82 you are a write off, you are nobody," she added.

Anthonysz, who is estranged from her four children, says shefirst moved toSecheltin1974, and used toworkin theSecheltHospital laundry.

She claims abad experience with her last landlord left her out on the street, unable to find suitableaccommodation in her price range.

"They want $800 dollars [per month]. It's cheaper to live in my car,"Anthonyszsaid. "It's very well looked aftermy car, it's mypersonal object. Everybody knows my carand everyone smiles at Doris and her yellow car."

"I'm a very healthy person and I'm verystrong,"she added.

Secheltresident Linda Harris learned aboutAnthonyszfrom aFacebookpost, and has talked to the elderly woman a couple of times.

"She's obviously lovely, well-spoken and homeless," said Harris. "TheRCMPare keeping an eye on her at night. She's not medically sick or mentally illso the hospital wouldn't be able to do anything. People know about her, but nobody knows what to do."

Harris says she is noticing more homeless inSecheltthan ever before and thinksa short-term solution would be to open the town's temporary emergency homelessshelter.

Located inSt.Hilda'sAnglican Church, the shelterreceived emergency funding to open last winter after a homeless manfroze to death in nearbyGibsons.

"With our hot weather coming and this woman living in her car, she could die of dehydration," said Harris. "She doesn't have teeth, so what can she eat? We can get her some light food and some Ensure [meal replacement drink] but we don't want her to die before we do something about it."

According to local resident Duane Burnettthe waterfront home across from whereAnthonyszparks to sleep at nighthas been "flipped three times in the past year [but]remains empty most of the time."

Burnett, who calls affordable low income housing a pet cause,calls the situation a "tragedy."

Vancouver Coastal Health told CBC News they were looking intoAnthonysz'ssituation.

Anthonyszsays she's heard other homeless women in town talk of committing suicide, but that she herself is "not a suicide person."

"What do I wish?I wish the government would give us more money," she said.

"Why do we have to live on the edge?"