July 2019: CARP alarmed by eviction of 150 seniors from Toronto residence

Toronto, July 10, 2019. CARP is deeply concerned about the decision to close Davenhill Senior Living, a nonprofit seniors home in Toronto. Davenhill is home to 150 senior residents, with varying levels of mobility and requiring wheelchairs.

Residents only have until the end of this year to find new accommodation with the appropriate level of care they require. “Not everyone has the financial resources and capacity to enable such a rapid relocation,” says Marissa Semkiw, Director, Stakeholder Relations.

“Seniors are continually being squeezed out of their homes, particularly in urban areas making way for new condominiums,” says Semkiw. “The decision to close Davenhill Senior Living will leave 150 vulnerable residents in a precarious situation, and further underscores the critical need for more affordable and accessible housing for seniors.”

As the number of seniors continues to grow, Canada is not prepared for the housing needs of an aging population. According to Statistics Canada, 12.5% of Canadian seniors live in poverty in Ontario; between 2014 and 2015, 75,000 more seniors became low-income.

CARP has called on governments at all levels to adopt a new vision for housing seniors that includes innovative housing models, municipal zoning flexibility, and building standards for accessible housing for seniors in urban, rural and Indigenous communities.

CARP is a nonprofit, non-partisan association representing more than 320,000 older Canadians across Canada. We advocate to uphold the rights and improve the lives of Canadians as we age.