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Seniors Services Society of BC “The Little Agency that Could
The work of what has become Seniors Services Society of BC began in the 1970s in New Westminster.
The mandates of the two agencies that amalgamated to form Seniors Services Society (Seniors Housing Information Program Society and the Western Society for Seniors Citizens Services) hold true today. Seniors Services Society provides local and provincial programs and services to support vulnerable older adults to live as independently as possible.
Today, Seniors Services Society of BC has 12 staff members and over 100 volunteers focusing on ensuring seniors have the tools they need to live safe and healthy lives in homes that are affordable and appropriate for their needs.
Locally in New Westminster for those who wish to live independently, the Society operates a wide range of services such as Meals on Wheels, Better at Home programs (housekeeping, shopping, friendly phone calls, and medical transportation), and social outings. Across Metro Vancouver, they offer one-on-one outreach, counselling, and navigation for seniors in housing distress.
Our mission may not have changed much over the years, but the scope of the work we do at Seniors Services Society has grown considerably.
The need has grown. The baby boom generation has greyed. Over 25 percent of the population of BC is now over 60 years of age. The new wave of those over 60 will need more health services, more age-appropriate housing, and often navigation tools to connect to the services they need. Unfortunately, pensions have not kept up to the cost of living in BC and many seniors are having difficulty paying the bills and covering basic necessities. Approximately 70,000 seniors are living below the poverty line in BC— the highest rate across Canada.
Homelessness or the risk of homelessness has become the biggest issue facing low-income seniors. Over 23 percent of those who are homeless in Metro Vancouver are over 60 years of age. Many are well into their 70s and 80s, often homeless for the first time.
Seniors make up a large portion of the hidden homeless population. Agencies across the province are noticing a dramatic increase in the number of seniors who are coming to them in housing crisis, living in their cars, tents, couch-surfing, or street homeless.
Rapidly rising rental rates, the availability of rental housing at less than 1 percent, and an increasing cost of living make it very hard to find a place to live. Many agencies do not have the resources or tools to handle the specific needs of the growing numbers of seniors in crisis. Seniors Services Society is the only agency in BC that works exclusively with seniors in housing crisis and receives calls and referrals from across the province.
Last year, Seniors Services assisted 6000 seniors over the phone and in person and over 24,000 browsed the Seniors Services website for housing navigation and support.
The majority of Seniors Services housing programs are currently available only in Metro Vancouver. To meet the growing need and fill the void for seniors who need help with their housing situation across
the province, Seniors Services is now embarking on a project to expand their proven regional housing programs.
SHINE BC (Seniors Housing Information & Navigation Ease) is built on almost 40 years of developing programs and navigation tools that work. Current Seniors Services housing services include the following. • Seniors Housing Navigator (individualized information for seniors’ housing in British
Columbia offered over the phone and at the office) • Seniors Homeless Outreach (one-on-one outreach to seniors who are homeless and at-risk in Metro-Vancouver) • Seniors Housing Directory of BC (a comprehensive searchable province-wide directory of seniors housing buildings) • Temporary Housing Program (providing 17 temporary housing units along with rehabilitative and outreach services to homeless seniors (in Metro-Vancouver) • Seniors Housing Navigator Training (two series of training sessions a year to build community capacity for volunteers and staff as Housing
Navigators) SHINE BC will expand on the existing services available through Seniors Services so seniors and serviceproviders across the province will have housing assistance and navigation available to them. The expanded services will include the following. • A Seniors Housing Navigation phone line to connect seniors provincially to a Seniors Housing
Navigator • A new website specifically for Seniors Housing Navigation • An expanded Housing Directory of BC website • Seniors Outreach workers in hub locations across BC attached to existing seniors-focused agencies • The addition of Seniors Mental
Health & Addictions Outreach
Workers to work alongside seniors in their homes or alongside Homeless Outreach Workers as they navigate the behaviours of seniors living with mental health challenges and addictions while they are finding housing.
The missing piece for homeless or at-risk seniors has often been financial instability that can or will put their housing at risk. To that end, Seniors Services Society of BC has launched the Seniors Support Bank that can offer short-term loans to those in a crisis situation. This program is currently available only to clients in Metro Vancouver, but the hope is that the program, combined with a Seniors Financial Management program, can be developed and offered throughout the province.
The need for services for seniors continues to grow. To meet the demand and fill the void provincially, Seniors Services Society of BC is also growing. Program growth is currently dependent on money raised through fundraising events and initiatives, as well as generous monthly donations and legacy gifts.
For further information regarding the programs currently available through Seniors Services Society of BC or to find out how you can support those programs, please contact Nipa Bhalla at 604 520-6621 or email nipab@seniorsservicessociety.ca. s Kara-Leigh Bloch is the Executive Director of the Seniors Services Society of BC.
Editor’s note: This Society is a fine example of volunteer work in the community by real estate people. REIBC ED Brenda Southam is President of Seniors Services Society and BC Notaries Association CEO Jacqui Mendez is a Board member.
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