The District of Houston council is set to renew its focus on expanded options for local seniors who may need a level of care.
And it is doing so by adding the health ministry to the list of provincial bodies it wants to meet with at the annual Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in Vancouver in September.
Although there are living and care facilities in Houston for seniors ranging from beds at the Houston Health Centre, assisted care at Cottonwood Manor and independent living units at Cottonwood Manor and Pleasant Valley Village, the council has been advocating for a higher level of service for seniors.
The lack of such facilities in Houston means seniors have to move to either Burns Lake or Smithers.
"Their families are driving back and forth which we've all experienced, unfortunately," said Houston mayor Shane Brienen.
He added that the seniors have been longtime residents of Houston as well as being taxpayers.
"I think maybe this is a prime time to make a push for that," Brienen said of expanded care options in Houston in light of the provincial election this fall.
Council will have added information on its side, thanks to a recently finished study of housing options for all ages, circumstances and incomes it commissioned by a firm called CitySpaces.
Using census data and local interviews, the company has determined there is a lack of adequate accommodations for seniors.
"Houston's population has declined over the past 20 years, yet the number of seniors aged
64-84 has doubled from 2006 to 2021. This trend has led to rising demand for independent
and assisted living for seniors," CitySpaces researchers wrote in a report prepared for council.
"Currently, seniors housing options are limited to Pleasant Valley
Village for affordable independent living, which has over 50 people on the waitlist, and
Cottonwood Manor for assisted living," they added.
"The need for seniors housing will continue to grow as the population ages. When developing new seniors housing, the preferred location is in the
downtown core within close walking distance to transit and services."
