In which I'm shuffling on... desperately...

Burnaby ain't doin' it for me anymore. My folks have asked me to stick around for a few months while they complete renovations - all the better for my mom to have an extra pair of functioning eyes around a redesigned house. It's an arrangement that's worked well enough - financial benefits on both ends, and plenty of time to play with the Tempodog. But now I'm fairly desperately needing my own space, hampered as my social life is by both remoteness and lack of privacy. I've targeted March 1st as my move-in deadline for some place downtown or in Kits, but I'd REALLY like to find something decent (i.e. 1 bedroom) for less than a grand per month. I've been out of the market some time, and it looks like things have gotten nuts in my absence.

Anybody know anything about co-ops? Or hidden treasure apartment buildings where I can get a palatial loft for pocket change? I'm in dire need of pointers here. Of course, there's always the entirely probable risk that six months from now, I'll up and move to Sudan. But we'll cross that bridge as it comes.