The Seniors Housing Collaborative (SHC) is working to shift policy and practice so low-income seniors can age in the right place with appropriate services and strong networks. Since launching last fall, membership has grown to 20 people, including housing and service providers, municipal representatives, and six seniors with diverse perspectives on the rental landscape.

Low-income seniors experience inadequate service access and community disconnection due to fragmentation in the seniors housing sector. Key organizations and senior renters will work together to identify how we can build on what works in the sector—and frame actions for what needs to change. SHC is grounded in ideas generated by the Seniors Housing Innovation Lab, where SSSBC joined more than fifty cross-sector stakeholders and senior advisors to rethink systems and services for senior renters in Metro Vancouver.

With funding from Vancouver Coastal Health, SHC will take that work further, shaping policy recommendations to create communities where low-income seniors can participate, contribute, and access what they need to manage their lives. Mariam Larson, Consulting Gerontologist, will take on the role of Collaborative Project Manager. She has extensive experience working with diverse partners to create projects that address seniors’ needs. She looks forward to working with the SSSBC team to sustain and strengthen their significant community impact.