Seniors are a fast increasing part of our communities.  In June 2019, the Canadian multi-government Report on Housing Needs of Seniors stated:

•   “…According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the physical and social environments are key determinants of  whether people can remain healthy, independent and autonomous as they age.  As such, in an Age-Friendly Community (AFC), the physical and social aspects of a community are designed to improve the health and well-being of older adults.” (At page 4.)
•   “…Seniors (those 65 years of age and over) are the fastest growing age group in Canada.  In 2016, there were 5,935,635 seniors, who represented 16.9% of the total population in Canada and this percentage is expected to increase to 24% by 2036 (Statistics Canada 2016, Federation of Canadian Municipalities, 2015)….Seniors wish to continue to live independently for as long as possible in their home and community (Chiu, 2016).  There are several reported benefits to living independently including increased physical, mental, and social capacities…Supporting seniors to age in place with appropriate support services potentially avoids high costs associated with acute care such as emergency room visits and hospital admissions (Chiu, 2016)” (At page 8.)
•  “…The sharp rise in housing costs that affected senior renter households living in census metropolitan areas (CMAs) in Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia may have contributed to increasing the number of households in core housing need…A household is in Core Housing Need when their housing is not acceptable and the household does not have enough income to meet expenses of an acceptable alternative….According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation a household is living in acceptable housing when it is: Adequate (does not need major repairs); Suitable (has enough bedrooms for the household);  and Affordable (costs less than 30% of before tax income).  A household is living below standards when one or more of the conditions listed above are not met.”  (At pages 6, 10.)
• Percentage and number of Senior Households in Core Housing Need by Census Metropolitan Area and by “specified town and market centres” by Census Area (2016):  Halifax  – 15.6%, 6,060;  Montreal – 13.6%, 53,735;  Toronto – 23.4%, 107,195;  Winnipeg – 12.6%, 9,025;  Calgary – 17% (14,155);  Edmonton – 16.9% (15,350);  Vancouver 19.7% (41,575); Iqaluit 20.7% (30), CANADA – 14.0%, 477,025…. (At pages 14-15.)
•  “Those living in core housing need tend to have significantly lower average incomes.  Senior women are more likely to live alone and have low incomes and therefore are more likely to live in core housing need.  In fact, in 2016, 53.8% of seniors living in core housing need consisted of women who lived alone …Additionally, in 2016, most seniors with core housing need lived in apartments and were renters …” (At page 15.)  Approximately one-third - 32.8%, 282,320 - of senior households in Canada who rented were in core housing need  compared to 7.7%, 194,705  of senior households who owned their homes. (At pages 15,16.)
• Approximately 7% of seniors in Canada live in supportive housing/assisted living (2007) – “housing options that often include design features for safety and accessibility, as well as providing support services such as counselling, personal support and assistance with medication, recreational activities, housekeeping, and meal preparation…Of those aged 45+, 62% said they would consider moving into supportive housing later in life (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, 2016c).  Data also showed that renters aged 75+ were more interested in supportive housing than homeowners.”  (At page 25)
• "The main findings of the report are: 1. That there is a need to increase the supply of housing for seniors overall and various options that take into account the range of health needs and income status of seniors…4. Strategies should continue to be sought to incentivize builders, planners and purchasers to incorporate features of universal design for future adaptability and accessibility into new builds and renovations…5. Strategies should be evolved to encourage and promote production of more diverse and affordable housing options….”  (At page 33.)

[Emphasis added]

In Calgary, the 2019 City of Calgary Census Results revealed that senior citizens 65+ years old were by far the fastest-growing group and were approximately 12% of the population.  Calgarians 65-74 years old increased by 23.1% over 3 years from 2016 to 2019 and Calgarians aged 55-64 years old (“near seniors”) increased by 11.3% over the same 3 years.  See also:  The greying of Calgary: 2019 census shows the city is becoming ‘more like Winnipeg’ – CBC – September 3, 2019. 

The Calgary Population Profiles  - Seniors by The City of Calgary (2016) revealed:

• 91% (99,830) of seniors lived in private households and 9% (9,360) lived in collective dwellings.  Of those living in collective dwellings 47% (4,380) lived in non-institutional collective dwellings and 53% (4,995) institutional collective dwellings (nursing homes, hospitals, etc. .  In collective dwellings, senior women (6,700) outnumbered senior men (2,650) and 51% (4,820) of seniors in collective dwellings were aged 85 years old or older. (At pages 5, 6.)
• In 2010, the median annual pre-tax income of seniors in Calgary was $26,659, which was $11,038 lower than the Calgary median income of $37,697. (At page 19.)
• See also reports about seniors and aging population in Calgary involving The City of Calgary at: https://www.calgary.ca/CSPS/CNS/Pages/Research-and-strategy/Seniors-and-Aging-Population.aspx

With 82% (3,300) of deaths due to COVID-19 in Canada occurring in long-term care homes, there are now calls for reform of seniors’ care in Canada, including as per:

• Canada must put an end to privately owned long-term care homes:  Singh – CTV – May 10, 2020.  “Profit should not be the motive when it comes to how we care for our seniors” (as per Jagmeet Singh, NDP Leader).
• Calgary woman moves dad from long-term care home amid calls to stop the deaths – CBC – May 7, 2020
• COVID-19 and the extended care crisis:  two thirds support government takeovers of long-term care facilities – Angus Reid Institute -  May 25, 2020.
• Re-imagining Long-term Residential Care in the COVID-19 Crisis – Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – April 24, 2020

In Opinion:  More seniors housing is an essential need not a want – Calgary Herald – January 16, 2019 former Calgary Mayor Al Duerr stated:  “….While there are many worthy projects that would contribute to making our communities more vibrant and purposeful, seniors housing with supports is clearly a need, not a want…Together we can ensure seniors don’t live in fear of homelessness. By meeting their essential housing needs, we can help them live their lives in dignity and enjoy the respect that comes with knowing that we really do care.  I enthusiastically encourage each of you to honour all seniors – those you know and those you don’t (along with the one you might become) – for the lives they’ve led and their lifetimes remaining.  Seniors have earned the very basic security of home, and we can make it happen.”  [Emphasis added]

Let’s protect and honour seniors with affordable, safe and appropriate housing and age-friendly communities.

THANK YOU, fellow Canadians, for signing the petition!!  It really does help.  Let’s PROTECT RENTERS:  let’s make it a WIN-WIN-WIN solution for Renters and Community as well as Landlords.  Please pass the petition on to others!

Stay safe, stay healthy!                               

Anne

We the Courageous

Image of seniors in hand by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.