to be clear.

they put an ad up for a bachelor at $700. i'd seen it before and knew it was a small one bedroom. so, i get there and the property manager says "i thought it was a bachelor, but it turns out it's a one bedroom". after sniffing out the place a second time, i tentatively take an application - and ask if it's the same price, now that she realizes it's a one bedroom. she says it is.

the building was recently purchased.

i decide to apply later that night, so i call her up, and she's evasive - tells me to drop off the application on the other end of town. them, claims she's not in the office. she's never in the office, apparently, until i get declined.

she claims i was the only applicant, and that appears to have been true.

there are other reasons for a big company like this to decline me, but i have to point out that they rent to refugees and to students, so they don't have problems taking government checks, or applicants with high rent to income ratios. students might have cosigners, though. and, as mentioned, i don't know what the real story about housing access and refugees is - i don't know what kind of a deal a big company like york is getting to open up housing.

i suspect it was at least a partial factor.

it's now listed for $775, which is still affordable. my own rent is set to go up in a few months, remember, to about $720 - as my income goes up this month from $1150 to $1170.

but, i was clear enough that i was kind of panicking, and now that the serve is down, the impetus of that panic seems to have passed. i'm not sure that moving there solves the problem i set out to solve...