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The Vancouver Abbeyfield is a form of supportive housing for seniors that can be found in the SHIP directory.

What is the SHIP Seniors Housing Directory?

Overview

Fifteen years ago when a group of seniors in New Westminster went looking for a catalogue or list of seniors housing in the Lower Mainland, they found that none existed. Through their initiative the Seniors Housing Information Program was formed and work began on creating the Seniors Housing Directory.

The directory is designed to provide seniors, care givers and service providers with a comprehensive list of housing currently available for seniors living in or wishing to live in the Lower Mainland of BC.

The Housing Directory is an excellent resource for seniors centres, health care professionals, housing developers, real estate agents and others. To order a printed directory, download or print the Housing Directory order form.

Description

The Seniors Housing Directory is organized alphabetically by housing type. Once you understand the type of housing you are looking for the information is listed within that section, alphabetically by the location you wish to live in.

The directory contains around 1200 listings of seniors housing and the information in each record has been collected directly from the housing provider.

The fact that any housing development is listed in the directory, does not mean that SHIP recommends its use. Before making any housing decisions it is very important that you go and view the housing you are interested in and learn as much about it as you can. The information in the directory is only accurate to the date that it is collected which may be up to a year ago. We are not liable for any information that may be outdated or incorrect.

If you are planning to rent housing, you may be interested in the following resources:

• The Tenants Rights Action Coalition operates the Tenants Hot Line that provides legal information to tenants about their rights and responsibilities on issues such as evictions and arbitration hearings. They publish a handbook called Tenant Survival Guide. They also have fact sheets on a variety of topics related to landlord tenant issues; these are available in other languages also. For more information call 604-255-0546 or visit www.tenants.bc.ca
• The Residential Tenancy Branch offers A Guide for Landlords and Tenants in British Columbia. They deal with landlord tenant disputes and provide a variety of forms such as rent increase forms and tenancy agreements. They can help in explaining the law to landlords and tenants and can hold arbitration in cases where disputes cannot be resolved. For more information call 604-660-1020 or 1-800 665-8779 or visit www.pssg.gov.bc.ca
• BC Coalition to Eliminate the Abuse of Seniors has developed a number of resources for building managers and senior tenants including Tips for Building Managers and A Roof Over My Head - A Guide to Senior Renters in British Columbia. They also provide a Legal Information and Advocacy Program for Seniors. Their services include summary advice, advocacy, and information and referral to community resources. For more information call 604-437-1940 or 1-866-437-1940 or visit www.bceas.ca
• Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters (SAFER) is a BC Housing program that provides eligible renters with financial assistance. For more information on SAFER call 604-433-2218 or visit www.bchousing.org

Types of Housing in the Directory

The directory was created in response answer to seniors' direct requests about seniors housing options. After speaking with thousands of seniors defining their housing needs, SHIP created categories of housing consistent with what the market offers.

See the complete description of types of housing. Click to download this document as a pdf.

How to Use the SHIP Housing Directory?

1. Identify your needs

Before knowing what type of housing to search for you will need to think about your current and future housing needs. Careful planning will assist you greatly in making a successful move. Some moves can be avoided if you have access to the right information.

2. Search the directory on this Web site

Read about the types of seniors housing available. After you understand what type of housing you are interested in, go to the directory Search page. On the search page you will be able to select the type of housing you are interested in and the location you are looking for.

The directory is printed from a database that is constantly being added to. We attempt to stay abreast of changes and pass on the updated information as soon as possible. If you find errors or discrepancies, please contact the SHIP office.

3. Get more information and follow up

If you have questions not answered on this Web site, be sure to call a SHIP housing counsellor at 604-520-6621.

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