Old News Is Bad News: Toronto Seniors Facing Consequences Of Unaffordable Housing

Toronto City staff are updating the city’s housing strategies, on their way to a new affordable housing plan for the coming years.

We can only hope that this major North American city will begin to more seriously face the growing consequences of the ‘silver tsunami’ that have been predicted for years now, but have elicited a disproportionately small recognition not only in Toronto but in many, if not most, cities across the continent.

Seniors use of food banks? Up or down? Up.

Read more at the CBC: Lack Of Affordable Housing Drives Need For Second Scarborough Food Bank

Seniors use of homeless shelters? Up or Down. Up.

20% of Toronto’s homeless population are people over 50. Read more at Toronto.com: Islington Seniors’ Shelter opens doors in north Etobicoke

Delighted as we must be that a new seniors shelter is opening the city, is this to be a future trend? Warehousing seniors who are homeless?

We can but hope that not only in Toronto, but in other cities in North America, some serious reconsideration of housing policies will result in more affordable rental¹ housing that caters to the special needs of seniors.

1. We’re pretty sure that few seniors on fixed income who do not already own a house will be able to save up for a down payment, and/or qualify for a mortgage in order to ‘climb upon the housing ladder.