CARP has long advocated for more affordable housing for low income seniors with an emphasis on assisted living and supportive housing and welcomes the additional funding.
“The greater need in seniors’ housing, however, is supportive services which is not a bricks and mortar issue but requires the cooperation of the health or social services ministries. More assisted living units would be made available if existing stock could be retrofitted and the money applied to the supportive services,” said Eng
A few of the provinces have integrated programs to provide for assisted housing units and this new money should be available to spur on those programs. There is an opportunity for national standards of design and supportive services to be negotiated with the cost sharing agreements.
Older Workers
Older workers will benefit from the added funding to Targeted Initiative for Older Workers [TIOW], the 5-week add-on employment insurance benefits and provisions for long-tenured workers.
The $60 million added to TIOW over 3 years brings TIOW funding to $50 million a year when added to the amounts announced in 2008. The TIOW provides a range of employment activities for unemployed older workers and helps them stay in the work force. However, TIOW previously applied only in rural areas and the programs were largely targeted at single industry communities. Budget 2009 extends the TIOW to vulnerable cities with populations of less than 250,000.
Budget 2009 proposes five extra weeks of EI benefits to a maximum of 50 weeks for the next two years. Older workers will benefit from that extension as well as the measures for long-tenured workers. $500 million will be provided to extend EI benefits for longer term training and allow earlier access to EI benefits for workers who receive severance packages if they use some or all of that severance for skills upgrading or training.
“The proposed spending and EI changes will help but more can be done to remove barriers and disincentive to workforce participation of older workers. The government should institute workplace protection for older workers starting with introducing legislation to abolish mandatory retirement in all federally regulated industries, as well as those provinces and territories where it remains. In collaboration with the private sector, unions and civil society governments should undertake outreach/educational initiatives to promote the workforce participation of older workers,” said Eng
No new Support for Family Caregivers
Nothing new was offered to help the estimated 5 million Canadians who undertake caregiving responsibilities for their older relatives and other loved ones. CARP has recommended a comprehensive National Caregiver Strategy that provides financial and tax support that makes it financially feasible for people to take time off work to look after their loved ones, to make sure that their job is waiting for them when they get back and to ensure that the formal health care system facilitates their care giving role. Any of the existing and proposed measures for child rearing could be delivery models for caregiver support. What is needed is political leadership that values the care of older Canadians as much as the care of children.
