Aging in Uncertainty: The Growing Housing Crisis for BC Seniors

This report was prepared by United Way British Columbia and the Housing Working Group, a committee of the Community Based Seniors’ Services (CBSS) Leadership Council. The Leadership Council advises United Way BC’s Healthy Aging Department and is a provincially-represented body of leaders working in the not-for-profit and municipal-based seniors’ services sector, as well as older adults who are leaders in this sector.

The Housing Working Group was established by the Leadership Council in response to growing concerns raised by not-for-profit agencies and service providers across BC on two issues: the growing unaffordability of housing for seniors and the lack of social supports tied to housing that would make it possible for seniors to live well and remain in their own homes for longer.

The Housing Working Group includes members from urban and rural communities throughout BC who have an interest in, and knowledge of, seniors’ housing needs, challenges, models, and/ or solutions. We would like to thank the working group co-chairs, Deborah Hollins and Tim Rowe, as well as the other members of the working group for their insights and support on our journey to develop this report.

We would also like to thank 411 Seniors Centre, and the agencies that work with them, who raised the alarm bells about the growing crisis of housing insecurity (i.e., precarity) and homelessness within BC’s seniors’ population.

And a special thanks to all the seniors, volunteers, and housing and service providers who participated in interviews or shared their insights with us in other ways.