Visions Journal

Navigating growing challenges for seniors

Dan Levitt

Reprinted from the Out of Sight, Out of Mind: The unseen reality of hidden homelessness issue of Visions Journal, 2024, 20 (2), pp. 11-12

As we know, BC has been experiencing a housing crisis for many years that does not seem to be improving. The difficulties facing young people trying to access affordable rentals or buy a home have been well reported, and governments at every level have responded with programs to provide support. Unfortunately, the challenges with seniors accessing affordable housing have not received the same attention.

The seniors population in BC is rising. An estimated one in four people is projected to be over age 65 by 2036, which means BC will have more seniors as a proportion of the population than ever before.¹ Many seniors live on fixed pension incomes while trying to manage increasing costs of living. We may well be facing an acute housing crisis specific to older British Columbians. The time to act is now.

Listening to seniors

One of my first tasks as BC Seniors Advocate was to travel throughout the province to hear first-hand from seniors about the challenges they’re facing. Overwhelmingly, struggles with affordability were the main issue. Seniors told me they find it difficult to pay for basic needs, like food and housing, and the additional costs of ageing, like medications, medical equipment, incontinence products and mobility aids.

Seniors want to keep living independently in their own homes. But some struggle to access affordable, appropriate housing. They fear being forced too soon into assisted living or long-term care, or needing to move out of their community.

Seniors who rent and live on a fixed pension income are in the most precarious position. Many senior renters told me they don’t know what they’d do if they had to move. They would be competing for a new place against everyone else looking for a rental. Seniors also reported significant difficulties navigating the subsidized housing system. This is even more challenging for people who don’t have access to a computer, technology skills or do not speak English.

The massive undertaking of finding a new rental is compounded by the large rent increase seniors face. In BC, allowable rent increases under the Residential Tenancy Act have resulted in a 34% rise in rents for tenants who’ve stayed in the same unit, while the average market rent has gone up nearly 50% over the past 10 years. During this same time, public pension incomes in Canada increased by only 25%. One in four seniors in BC live on incomes of less than $23,000 a year, which is below the poverty line and puts them at risk of homelessness.

Rent controls attach only to the tenancy, not the unit. That means rent charged for a vacant unit can be twice the amount the long-term tenant who left was paying—or more. Seniors are more likely to have lived in their current rental unit for a decade or longer and to have benefitted from the moderating effect of rent control. However, if they have to move, due to personal circumstances or eviction, many find rent for a new unit out of reach.

I also spoke to service providers. They described the pressure in trying to support seniors when housing options are so limited. It’s distressing for staff and volunteers, especially with so few subsidized housing units available to fill the gap. Over the last five years, waitlists for BC Housing seniors subsidized housing have grown by 59%. As of March 31, 2023, 11,549 applicants were awaiting a unit, and more than 40% of applicants have been waiting for two years or more.

In 2023, the Ministry of Housing funded homeless counts for 20 communities that showed an increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness compared to the previous count in 2020/21.² The proportion of seniors experiencing homelessness ranged from 3% to 31% in the province. The 2023 Homeless Count in Greater Vancouver reported 4,821 people  were experiencing homelessness (a 32% increase from 2020); of that number, 22% were seniors (55+) and 9% of seniors were homeless for the first time.³ Overall, not having enough income was the most commonly cited reason for housing loss.

Advocating for solutions

Since becoming BC Seniors Advocate, my office has called for immediate action to improve supports for senior renters. I recommended that the Province fix the Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters (SAFER) program. Despite recent changes, SAFER does not provide adequate support to most seniors.

The program was set up for seniors’ rents to be 30% of their income. Today, most recipients pay over 50% of their income towards rent. Additionally, the SAFER benefit is still not tied to the regulated allowable rent increase or inflation. When rents go up, there is no corresponding SAFER benefit increase.

We hear from seniors who call our Information and Referral Line, like Alice, 76 years old, who has an annual income of less than $25,000 and lives in the Lower Mainland. Alice is being evicted and struggling to find affordable housing in Vancouver, where average rent for a one-bedroom is $1,696.⁴ Even with the new $931 SAFER rent ceiling and SAFER subsidy, Alice will pay 70% or more of her income towards rent, leaving her with less than $600 a month for other living expenses, like food and utilities. In this scenario, Alice continues to live in poverty and may be at risk of becoming homeless.

Our office also wants seniors renting independent living units to be covered by the Residential Tenancy Act because some landlords raise the costs of their mandatory service packages (for meals and housekeeping) to get around legislated rent controls.⁵ Many seniors have advocated for themselves and others to be treated fairly because the Residential Tenancy Branch was not protecting them previously. Our position is that the service packages in independent living are mandatory and a condition of tenancy and therefore must be protected from unlawful cost increases.

BC’s population is ageing. An increasing number of seniors need affordable, accessible and appropriate housing options. Challenges facing seniors are on the same trajectory as the broader housing crisis, and the implications are sobering. While many of the people impacted are currently seniors, people with parents and grandparents will also be impacted in the future if these issues are left to languish. We must all work together to ensure seniors in BC can grow older in housing that supports their health, well-being and good quality of life.

Related Resources

Toll-free information and referral line for the Office of the Seniors Advocate British Columbia: 1-877-952-3181.