PARTNERSHIPS: for ageing-in-place

Seniors are a rapidly growing population in Alberta and across the country. Today’s seniors live longer and healthier lives, and continue to serve their communities. They require increased health and social supports, as they age. Including seniors’ housing that feels like home, and allows them to age and remain as contributors in their own community. 

There is a deficit of supported seniors’ housing in urban areas. We are working toward collaborations between the non-profit sector and the development industry to build more affordable units.  Our East Village program is bringing stakeholders to the table to develop a framework for developing homes in a partnership arrangement between the market and non-profit sectors.

In the inner city, the prohibitive cost of land and higher density zoning are a barrier to developing affordable units geared to seniors for ageing-in-place. 

Integrating an Eldercare homes with mixed age and income buildings, facilitates the development of smaller homelike setting, within medium and high rise structures.

"I dream of a place where we can have our privacy but still be able to congregate. We can have communal meals that we have all helped to make. There would be 24 hour help available, someone to call on, to help with little things."

1. Address the barriers to partnership between the market and non-profit sector by bringing together relevant parties and expertise to create integrated partnership solutions. Areas of focus include: 

• Provincial municipal planning and development, 
• Funding & budgets, 
• Construction timelines & budgets,
• Long term operational capital agreements and plans
• Creating a more intimate home-like residence within a large building.

2. Create a shift in focus from isolated planning for seniors to an integrated solution-based approach that engages real estate and (housing) development experts, social and health care providers, community and neighbourhood planning, public funding representatives, and seniors themselves. Municipal and provincial representatives are also invited to participate.

3. Create a shift to include age-in-place housing as part of multi-generational an integrated community planning.

A partnership framework requires consideration and agreement from different sectors: including:

•  Municipal authorities & the Development Industry: Zoning, development, application timelines;
• Funding entities: Public and private housing funders
• Development Partners: Issues, incentives, and planning & construction issues and
• Health Authorities: Support services as related  space design, and service delivery needs
• The University of Calgary School of Architecture Planning and Landscape
• Community seniors

In Phase I,  the University of Calgary’s School of Architecture Planning and Landscape developed a conceptual plan and model for 2 floors of age-in-place housing within a typical mixed age condominium building in East Village.

Phase II discussions are underway using the U of C model to  keep discussion routed in physical development issues.