A strategy for the diversification of housing options and living arrangements for senior citizens in the City of Terrace, British Columbia
Creators: name: Kamenz, Cherie Bernice
Publisher: name: University of British Columbia
Year: 2011

description: In 1986 there were nearly 2.7 million Canadians 65 years of age and over. During the next several decades, the number of elderly Canadians is expected to continue to grow more quickly than any other age group. The growth of the elderly population, in conjunction with their basic right to adequate, affordable housing, necessitates that planners recognize and attempt to satisfy the unique housing needs and desires of elderly Canadians. In order for planners to appropriately meet the housing needs and desires of current and future cohorts of elderly persons, they must strive for the creation of a continuum of housing options and living arrangements suitable for a diverse range of housing needs within each community. This thesis provides a strategy for the creation of a continuum of housing options and living arrangements for elderly persons in a small city: the City of Terrace in northern British Columbia. The process is divided into three phases: (1) an examination of a range of housing options and living arrangements encompassing independent, supported independent, and dependent living, (2) a profile of the City of Terrace which will identify the types and locations of existing housing and services for the elderly and clarify directions for future development, and (3) an analysis of the financial costs and the locational requirements of the housing options and living arrangements in order to determine which options are best suited to the present and future housing needs of elderly Terrace residents. The findings of this research indicate that there are a wide range of independent and dependent living housing options and living arrangements for elderly Terrace residents; however, there is a lack of supported independent housing options for seniors. Consequently, there is an emphasis on encouraging the development of supported independent housing options in the first five years of the ten year strategy. A relatively small percentage of the total population of the City of Terrace is 65 years of age and over. Therefore, in an attempt to offer a range of housing options for a small seniors' population in the City, many of the housing options that are recommended can be developed in single family detached dwellings. The benefits of developing these options in single family homes include the ability to make more efficient use of uncrowded single family homes, the ability to create and dissolve an option for a single household without affecting other households, and the ability to create small scale developments of group living arrangements in existing single family homes and neighbourhoods. The creation of a variety of options throughout the community on a smaller scale helps to ensure that there will be a range of housing options encompassing independent, supported independent, and dependent options without risking the viability of these options because of the limited numbers of seniors in the community.