Need for FAmily Friendly Rentals

My story has two parts, avaiability and quality of the rental units in the area.

I moved into a two bedroom for my son and I in 2016, he turned 1 in this home and we lived there until he turned 4. We were happy with our landlord but in 2020 she sold the house and we received a notice of eviction from our new landlord. At the time we had a dog and a cat so finding another two bedroom that would accept pets was tough but we did find one. We knew upon signing the lease that it would be temporary and we would have to move again in 6-12 months but it suited us well and as I said, there wasnt much else to choose from so we took it. Moving my son around a lot was something I worried about as a single parent who may never be able to qualify for an adeqaute mortgage. I want to offer him confidence in the form of a consistent home. I am now looking daily for our next place and I have to look that frequently because of how quickly the well maintained and afforadable rentals are snatched up. I have seen countless posts on facebook groups and kijiji of people who need a place with a fast approaching deadline and I cannot imagine what they would have to do if they did not find one. Couch surf? Sleep in their car? Many of these people have children, children should not have to feel uncertain about housing - ever. It isnt that they can't afford rentals, although that is the case sometimes, it is just that they arent available. And even when they are it can be hard to prove you are the right family for the unit. Some folks dont have steady work, some have kids, some have pets, or all of the above, and that puts us in a less-than-desireable category with landlords. I understand why, I have helped people clean their rentals after bad tenants, but it means that the rest of us must fit outselves into this mold of perfection to put the property owners minds at ease. That simply isnt possible for families, they come in all shapes and sizes and with all kinds of baggage, and because of that we often end up in the rentals of landlords that care little for the unit as long as rent is paid. This means the unit is often dirty and has been poorly maintained in the past and will most likely continue during the tenancy. Utility bills are high because nothing in the unit is efficent or properly sealed. Again many of us are just happy to find something and we get by with what we get, and that may be okay for adults but the kids don't get a choice and depending on age many wont understand why they have to live in certain conditions or move frequently. I have seen so many rentals that were filthy, that clearly had not even had the basic maintenance between tenants, such as repainting and repairing. When the landlord puts no love into the unit neither does the tenant and then these units go down hill fast until the landlord decides to just sell it, therefore reducing the availability further. I'm not sure what can be done about the lack of rentals and their maintenance but I feel that especially for the children in these circumstances there needs to be a change. A clean, secure, maintained home that their parents can secure for years, not months, with a space for them to get fresh air and kick a ball. I don't think any of that should be a luxury that only a home owner can afford their family.