Serious Shortage Of Seniors' Housing Motivates BC Developer

Developer Oliver Webbe hadn’t realized the serious shortfall of seniors' housing until earlier this year, when his own parents-in-law could no longer live independently due to health issues. The Chief Executive Officer of Darwin Group says he and some of his friends are seeing parents in sudden need of assisted living care, and they are realizing the serious lack. In his case, his in-laws, a former school principal and former nurse, lived comfortably in a two-bedroom condo in North Vancouver, living independently until shortly after Christmas, when they suddenly needed assisted living. But because they owned their home, the elderly couple didn’t qualify for low-cost subsidized housing. It meant they had to fork out more than $15,000 a month to a private care home — the only unit available on the Northshore. Webbe’s mother-in-law died recently, so his father-in-law is left on his own, spending his life savings on end-of-life care. And because there isn’t rent control legislation to protect this type of seniors' housing from increases, management could raise their rent next month, he says. “I’ve lived on the Northshore most of my life and I’m 43 years old, and most of my friends are starting to experience this with their parents,” he says. “We are starting to see this as a common conversation my friends are having all of a sudden, due to health conditions, mental health and Alzheimer’s, we are now starting to look around for facilities that our parents could move into… And we are shocked with how expensive it is.” Darwin’s 6.6-acre Lonsdale Square development in the city of North Vancouver includes a seniors' assisted living facility with a memory care unit. Operated by Sunrise Senior Living, the six-storey facility will include 100 units for assisted living and memory care. A rendering of Darwin Properties' senior living residence. (Darwin Properties) One reason for the shortage is due to the timeline in building senior care. It’s been a six-year process, says Webbe…