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Identifying the Need
A City of Vancouver study in 2003 estimated
that 6,314 single room accommodation units are contained in the
downtown core.
- A typical SRA unit consists of one
room about ten by ten feet, with no private bathroom and no
cooking facilities only one bed and one sink.
- This is where seniors spend 80% of
their lives
- One senior described his room as a
“jail cell with no bars”.
- 60% of a seniors monthly income goes
towards rent, whereas the average person spends up to 30%.
- The shelter component of BC Employment Assistance tends to limit rent increases to $375 and the average rent in the hotels is $375-$400.
In keeping with life expectancy levels in the community, Vancouver Second Mile Society
considers anyone who is 45 years old to be a senior. Various poverty issues including inadequate housing, complex
health issues, isolation and lack of access to good nutrition results in the older years being particularly
difficult for community members. |
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