Vancouver senior services charity shocked to lose gov’t funding

A Vancouver charity says it was taken aback earlier this week to learn that B.C. Housing won’t renew funding for a program designed to help seniors on the brink of homelessness.

Founder and President of Whole Way House Jenny Konkin says the program partners with non-profit landlords to provide support to around 400 seniors — normally with $1,000 in funding per year per client.

Konkin says she had no indication that B.C. Housing would be cutting funding for the program and says she’s been trying to appeal to the province.

“We were hoping to be able to have a conversation, just to really help them understand the impact: that this is going to affect 400 seniors who really rely on these services, and to look at [what is] a really cost-effective model,” said Konkin.

She says the program is a matter of practicality, covering the bases and ensuring food security for its clients.

“They’re aging in place. They’re living in independent housing, but now they’re in decline, and maybe their health is declining, or their life situation. They’ve been isolated, and they just need some support,” Konkin explained, noting that nearly half of the seniors the charity works with became homeless for the first time after they turned 55.

In a statement to 1130 NewsRadio, the B.C. Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs says the program was merely meant to augment the services that Whole Way House already provides and that the province granted the funding “with the understanding that it was one-time.”

“We are also supporting seniors by increasing the SAFER rent subsidy program for low-income seniors, on average by 30 per cent, and increasing the eligibility so more seniors can qualify,” said Minister Ravi Kahlon.

Konkin says Whole Way House has been working with the provincial government since 2017, and she was blindsided by the cut. The ministry says the terms were communicated at the time of funding, but Konkin says there was “no indication” it would end while the charity was working with the province to complete a report on the project this summer.

“It was a very surprising call to receive 11 days before the funding was going to end,” she said, adding that the results could be devastating.

“If we pull these services, we’ll have seniors slipping through the cracks into homelessness, not getting the medical care that they need, and not having anybody to support them as as they go into this… They need these services, and we’ve been so grateful to be able to work with B.C. Housing because we see that they have been investing in this, and we just want to continue so at least we can get this pilot project wrapped up and be able to present the data to the ministry.”