Seniors Express Access Shelter Program

In celebration of National Seniors Day on October 1st, Coast Capital Savings generously donated $21,600 to support four senior-specific shelter spaces for older adults who are homeless for the first time in their later years. Seniors Services Society of BC (SSSBC) already has 15 units of Temporary Housing which are limited, and the current need is very high. The Seniors Express Access Shelter Program provides rapid access, barrier-free, senior-appropriate shelter space to homeless seniors 60+ for up to one month while they seek housing.

The program will provide shelter access in four communities in BC in conjunction with SHINE (Seniors Housing Information Navigation Ease) partners: Langley Senior Resources Society (Fraser Valley), Seniors Outreach & Resource Centre (Kelowna), Nanaimo Family Life Association (Nanaimo) and Seniors Services Society of BC (Metro Vancouver). SHINE partners also provide tailored housing navigation and outreach services for homeless or at-risk seniors in temporary housing.

Coast Capital Savings’ generosity doesn’t end there. In the past year, they have generously sponsored SSSBC’s Fridays with Seniors Podcast series and provided 100 water bottles to keep seniors hydrated during the summer months.

See what our SHINE Partners have to say:

Ian Gerbrandt, Executive Director
Seniors Outreach & Resource Centre
“Pension incomes and financial supports for seniors are simply not keeping pace with the rising costs of housing, food and personal care. As a result, people are falling further behind, and we are seeing more aging adults in Kelowna who are precariously housed and facing late-life homelessness. This is especially true for seniors who are alone or recently evicted from their rental property because of a sale. Coast Capital’s support of a seniors’ emergency housing unit will help our SHINE Housing Navigator provide a senior with shelter and make plans to access secure housing and get connected to community resources.”

Anthony Kupferschmidt, Executive Director
Langley Seniors Resource Society
“One of the gaps in the housing continuum that older adults experience is the availability of rapid access shelter beds that are appropriate for this population. This funding will help to fill this gap in our community, and will complement the housing navigation supports we already provide for older adults in the City and Township of Langley.”

Kyoko Takahashi, Program Manager
Seniors Services Society of BC
“Seniors Services Society of BC welcomes this news. We have always wanted to secure a senior-specific shelter space for our clients. With the safety and security it affords, our clients will be able to rest, regroup and prepare for the next step of housing search journey with our system navigation support. “