Newly Appointed Teacher Lives in a Tent with Her Four-Year-Old Daughter in Chania

A newly appointed teacher and her four-year-old daughter were temporarily living in a tent after she failed to find a home near the school where she had been assigned in Crete’s Chania region.

The woman, a theater specialist and musician from Thessaloniki, was appointed to the primary school in Kalyves. She is also expected to teach part of her schedule in schools in nearby villages. She began looking for housing in time to move before classes started, but found little available accommodation.

In a social media post, she said many properties were still reserved for the summer because they were being used for tourism. Several owners told her that their homes could be rented only from November onward. She therefore appealed to residents of Kalyves, Vamos and surrounding areas for a safe temporary place where she could park her car and put up the tent.

She said she had the necessary equipment and could independently cover her water and electricity needs. Her request was for a safe and legal place to stay until she found a suitable home.

The case prompted the municipality of Apokoronas to intervene. Following action by Mayor Charalambos Kouki anakis, a temporary solution appears to have been found: the teacher and her daughter are expected to stay at the former girls’ school in Vamos until they secure housing. The case has again highlighted the difficulty teachers face when they move to serve away from home, especially in tourist areas dominated by seasonal and short-term rentals.