Seniors in every corner of the province of British Columbia are frustrated and concerned about the availability, appropriateness and affordability of housing

British Columbia’s seniors advocate Isobel Mackenzie released a report on May 21, 2015 called “Seniors Housing in B.C., Affordable, Appropriate, Available” [opens to PDF]. Among the 18 recommendations in the report, Mackenzie proposes a bold new initiative to help senior homeowners afford to stay at home, calls for increases to rent subsidies for seniors, demands a commitment from the province to address lack of appropriate housing in rural B.C., argues for a fundamental redesign of assisted living, and presses for more action on getting seniors into the residential care facility of their choice. This is Mackenzie’s fourth report since opening the newly created Office of the Seniors Advocate in April 2014.

“I met with seniors in every corner of the province and the number one message I heard was that housing is not nearly as available or affordable as it needs to be to meet the needs of some seniors.” — Isobel Mackenzie

Among Mackenzie’s other recommendations are sweeping changes to the province’s Registered Assisted Living program to allow seniors living in these settings to remain there as long as possible, even if their health care needs change.

We speak with seniors advocate Isobel Mackenzie.

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audio | @SrsAdvocateBC Isobel Mackenzie's report on seniors housing in B.C. http://t.co/ZZQZJszON8 pic.twitter.com/Hb8lpiiXkt

— People First Radio (@peoplefirstrad) May 29, 2015