Seniors Housing Strategy

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Thank you for your participation. The virtual engagement period has ended on April 24, 2023. Please find the summary report of what we heard throughout the engagement here. The report outlines key housing challenges for seniors and older adults, identifies future housing needs, and includes directions for further exploration through the Strategy development.

The first draft of the Seniors Housing Strategy will be released in early-2024 for public feedback.

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Seniors are the fastest growing age demographic in Vancouver. Many seniors live on fixed incomes and will need to consider changing health, accessibility and housing needs as they age. Some seniors and older adults will choose to stay in their existing home or community as long as they can, while others may seek out or require seniors’ buildings with supports, or will downsize to a more manageable or accessible home.

About 70% of seniors and older adults 65+ are homeowners; however, seniors who rent their homes experience greater affordability challenges with close to half paying more than 30% of their incomes towards housing costs. There is also a growing population of seniors and older adults experiencing homelessness and a significant number of seniors living in Single Room Occupancy Hotels (SROs), many of them in inadequate conditions.

Your feedback will help us understand the housing needs of seniors, Elders, and older adults aged 55+ living in Vancouver and will help shape policies, partnerships and advocacy actions being developed this year.

Thank you for your participation. The virtual engagement period has ended on April 24, 2023. Please find the summary report of what we heard throughout the engagement here. The report outlines key housing challenges for seniors and older adults, identifies future housing needs, and includes directions for further exploration through the Strategy development.

The first draft of the Seniors Housing Strategy will be released in early-2024 for public feedback.

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Seniors are the fastest growing age demographic in Vancouver. Many seniors live on fixed incomes and will need to consider changing health, accessibility and housing needs as they age. Some seniors and older adults will choose to stay in their existing home or community as long as they can, while others may seek out or require seniors’ buildings with supports, or will downsize to a more manageable or accessible home.

About 70% of seniors and older adults 65+ are homeowners; however, seniors who rent their homes experience greater affordability challenges with close to half paying more than 30% of their incomes towards housing costs. There is also a growing population of seniors and older adults experiencing homelessness and a significant number of seniors living in Single Room Occupancy Hotels (SROs), many of them in inadequate conditions.

Your feedback will help us understand the housing needs of seniors, Elders, and older adults aged 55+ living in Vancouver and will help shape policies, partnerships and advocacy actions being developed this year.

  • Phase 1 public engagement results: What we heard report

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    Thank you to those who participated in the first phase of engagement for the Seniors Housing Strategy. We reached over 1,500 people through the phone survey, online surveys, public pop-ups and community outreach events, conversation kits, and stakeholder workshops and the ideas fair. We appreciate you taking the time to share your experiences and insights.


    Please find the summary report of what we heard throughout the engagement here. The report outlines key housing challenges for seniors and older adults, identifies future housing needs, and includes directions for further exploration through the Strategy development.


    Staff will now be taking the key findings from this first phase to begin drafting the Strategy and advancing directions and actions. The first draft of the Seniors Housing Strategy will be released in early-2024 for public feedback.

  • Public engagement pop-up events and stakeholder sessions *now closed*

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    As part of this phase of public engagement, we are hosting a series of in-person public engagement pop-up events to gather feedback on seniors housing. Please join us at the following locations and times:

    • Attend a public engagement pop-up (no registration required, light refreshments provided)
      • Friday, March 24 10:30 am -12:30 pm at Sunset Community Centre, 6810 Main St
      • Tuesday, March 28 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm at Kingsgate Mall, 370 East Broadway (unit 104 in between Lolli Pretty and Bunao Optical)
      • Tuesday, April 4 10:30 am - 12:30 pm at Strathcona Community Centre, 601 Keefer St (Cantonese interpretation available)
      • Wednesday, May 10 10:00 am - 12:00 pm at Barclay Manor (Multipurpose Room), 1447 Barclay St *Newly added!


    Accessibility: All pop-up events will be held in wheelchair-accessible locations. If you have any other accessibility needs, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate you.

    We will also be organizing targeted stakeholder sessions with leaders from senior serving organizations, community groups, and advocacy organizations. For more information, please email housingpolicy@vancouver.ca.

  • Lead a conversation using our Conversation Kit

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    Lead a discussion and gather feedback from seniors and older adults aged 55+. You can lead a session with an individual or a group, such as a community group that meets regularly, a group of assisted living or long-term care residents, or a family member, in a few simple steps:

    1. Download our Conversation Kit
    2. Lead the group or individual through the five simple discussion questions, making notes of the points raised and discussed.
    3. Submit the Conversation Kit PDF with notes back to housingpolicy@vancouver.ca.


    Conversation Kits can be submitted until April 30, 2023. Any input received by this date will be included in our engagement summary and will help shape the Seniors Housing Strategy.

  • Kitsilano Seniors Resource Fair

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    On March 15, City staff attended the Seniors Resource Fair hosted by the Kitsilano Neighbourhood House. We spoke with approximately 60 seniors and caregivers to better understand their current housing challenges and anticipated future housing needs. This feedback will inform the Seniors Housing Strategy, the results will be summarized as part of the public engagement report.



Page last updated: 20 Jul 2023, 02:44 PM