The provincial government has included a total of $200 million over three years to help build more affordable housing units for seniors.--CP FILE PHOTO
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The Ministry of Assisted Living and Social Services announced Thursday a new investment in affordable living for Alberta’s seniors.
Under the Seniors Lodge Modernization Program, the provincial government is committing a total of more than $200 million over the next three years to support 1,000 units for seniors across the province.
“The seniors lodge program is unique in Canada, the only place where it takes place, and it’s something that we are very proud of in the government,” said Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services Jason Nixon at a press conference Thursday.
The Seniors Lodge Program is the province’s oldest social housing program. It currently offers about 11,000 units across the province.
Lodges provide affordable housing to low-income seniors by providing rates that ensure a senior is left with at least $373 after paying for the full accommodation package, which includes meals and utilities.
“Lodges are an important bridge in the housing and care continuum,” said Irene Martin-Lindsay, executive director of the Alberta seniors and Community Housing Association. “They support seniors who are largely independent but benefit from a range of services and supports.”
Nixon told reporters the units were primarily existing ones that are offline or scheduled to go offline shortly. He could not provide details about how many units would be net new.
Nixon says an additional 3,000 new units are under construction or will begin construction shortly. The province has committed to adding 15,000 net new units over the next 10 years.
Lodge programs are offered in more than 100 communities across the province, and 70 per cent of lodges are in rural Alberta.
Nixon says lodges work particularly well in rural settings.
“It’s very well set up to partner with rural municipalities, and the reality is, there’s just more options inside large urban areas, both from the private sector and other things that have built over time,” said Nixon.
Martin-Lindsay says lodges also enable seniors who have spent their whole lives in rural areas to age in place.
Thursday’s announcement includes $150 million in new funding for seniors lodges, in addition to the $54 million already allocated for six projects across the province.
Projects already receiving funds include the Taber and District Housing Foundation’s Clearview Lodge project, which is scheduled to receive $9 million, and the Marquis Foundation’s Peter Dawson Lodge in Vulcan, which has been allocated $8.3 million.
By 2035, there will be one million seniors in Alberta.
Budget 2026 contains a total of $6.6 billion in funding to support different seniors initiatives.
