Over 20 per cent of homeless people in Metro Vancouver are aged 55 and over. A growing number of seniors are becoming homeless, and even more are at risk of homelessness. That’s where SHINE BC steps in to shed some light. The provincial program, which is managed by the Seniors Services Society of BC, provides housing navigation and wraparound services to seniors in 12 communities. In the Lower Mainland, services are available in Vancouver, Richmond, New Westminster, Surrey, and Langley.

“SHINE came out of discussions about the need for low-income seniors to have more real-time access to housing supports,” said SHINE Manager Zabeena Rahiman. “Here in New Westminster, seniors don’t want to leave their community and its proximity to things like Royal Columbian Hospital. They’ve built a sense of community that they don’t want to lose. They’ve lived in their homes for many years, and their rent is affordable until something unpredictable happens. A partner may die; or a building may be sold and slated for demolition. Sometimes, people haven’t been able to handle their finances well. There is a large gap between the income of many seniors and market rental rates and just the cost of living generally.”

Zabeena says the program’s value is clear; landlords and housing providers trust SSSBC to refer clients who have gone through a thorough intake process and have supports on hand. SSSBC’s housing navigators also connect eligible clients to rent supplements or work with seniors to ensure they are receiving all the benefits they’re entitled to.

“In the end, our province doesn’t have a Ministry of Seniors, so all the SHINE partners are trying to do that kind of work,” she added. “SSSBC is the hub, providing training and sharing resources with organizations in different areas of the province.”

Like all SHINE participants, West End Seniors Network Society’s Housing & I&R Coordinator Deborah Loren has tragic stories of trying to find homes for low-income seniors in Vancouver. She notes that mental decline among older adults is contributing to evictions.

“I had an 84-year-old woman who had been evicted come to see me,” Deborah recalled. “The sheriffs had taken her belongings out of her suite and left them in the back alley. She had until five o’clock the next day to find a spot for her things. We looked everywhere. I called every shelter to try to get her somewhere to stay the night. She ended up on the street. Can you imagine an 84-year-old lady who’s never been on the street before. It’s hurtful that we don’t have a way to fix this.”

Deborah works closely with the society’s housing navigator, Susan Pare. They meet 20 clients a week, providing information and assisting with applications. Many of these people have been in their homes for 20-plus years, which means their rents are much lower than what a new tenant would pay.

“New owners and landlords come in with a mission: renoviction,” said Susan. “They’d love to get rid of people who’ve been there for years, and they’ll play games to achieve that. They are now allowed to pass building improvements costs onto tenants; that’s fairly new and it’s causing an uproar.”

“We’re so grateful for SHINE; without it we wouldn’t be able to help people in all the ways that we do,” added Deborah, “without it, people would be so stuck.”

Finding affordable rentals for low-income seniors is no easier in Richmond where Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives has been a SHINE partner since 2023.

“It’s very difficult to find new housing for our SHINE clients; it’s easier to keep them housed when they’re having a problem,” said Manager, Seniors Community Support Services, Carol Dickson. “It helps to be skilled at liaising with landlords and finding out what the problem is.”

Carol notes that there are many reasons for evictions, such as landlords selling their homes or replacing long-term tenants with family members. There are also economic incentives.

“Sometimes landlords aren’t being truthful about moving in a family member, but we can’t prove it,” she said. “We have a sense though that sometimes people just want to raise the rent. If they’ve rented to someone for 15 years and they could get $800 more a month from someone new at current values, it’s tempting to evict an older tenant.”

Langley Senior Resources Society’s Manager of Community Services Wendy Rachwalski has noticed similar activity in her community.

“Some of the people who come to us for help are being evicted because their landlord’s family members are moving in, others the owner is selling the home they rent,” she said. “Others are being evicted due to mental health challenges. We have seniors who are homeless (and living on the street or in their vehicles) or living in situations they should not be such as trailers that do not have proper running water or they cannot move around in with their walkers (let alone Fraser Health will not come to help them as there is not enough room). It’s next to impossible to find affordable housing for low-income seniors here; we don’t have enough subsidized rent-geared-to-income units. It’s heartbreaking for our team because they want so badly to say, ‘here’s a place for you.’ But most of the rents are high and when seniors are bringing in $1,800 a month or less ($1,600 for persons with disability, or $1,300ish for permanent residents or newer immigrants), they just can’t afford it.”

Close by, Brella Community Services Society supports older adults in South Surrey and White Rock. Nicole Tait, the society’s director of community services, shared that, “Our SHINE funding is for information and referrals,” which means Brella can help seniors understand their housing options, answer questions, and assist with completing and submitting applications. “When seniors approach us for help with housing, we’ll help them fill out and submit applications,” said Nicole, ensuring no one has to navigate paperwork alone.

Brella also maintains a strong partnership with the Seniors Services Society of BC, allowing for smooth connections when someone needs more specialized housing navigation or urgent support. Brella can quickly refer clients to SSSBC in situations requiring more intensive assistance, ensuring older adults get the right help at the right time.

Nicole notes many of the area’s three-storey walk ups are being sold and the new owners are tearing them down. Long-term renters are finding themselves without a home and facing the hard reality of today’s rental rates, which are unaffordable to many on a fixed income.

“Finding the resources to help these people and making connections is a huge part of our work,” said Brella’s Better At Home Coordinator, Liz Sundvall. “We do what we can to refer people to SSSBC, but there are a lot more people coming in at the last minute now, especially with renovictions, who need to find a place.”

“Clearly the housing situation for low-income senior renters in Metro Vancouver and throughout the province is extremely risky,” said SSSBC CEO Alison Silgardo. “We are fortunate to be able to offer housing navigation services to low-income seniors in five Lower Mainland hubs. Our hope is that SHINE will be able to expand to more communities where the need is just as great.”