The Village of Granisle is considering launching a seniors housing pilot project.
It is hoped the scheme would keep seniors in the community instead of them having to go elsewhere for health care needs.
“Some have left our community and have been in the Burns Lake hospital and haven’t made it to the next level of care because there were no beds available,” as Mayor Linda McGuire told a village meeting on Oct. 16.
“So we planted a seed and we are going to water that seed like crazy, because we have asked for Granisle to be a pilot project for a seniors housing unit.”
McGuire said she discussed the idea with members of the provincial government during the Union of British Columbia Municipalities convention in Vancouver in September.
“Both the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing were very receptive that something like this can work in Granisle because we will keep our people in our community. It decreases health care costs, it keeps beds open in hospitals and it offers options for you to stay in the community with your family and your friends and your support system,” she said.
Other details of the project, like its possible location were not yet known since the pilot is in the early stages.
The Granisle council plans to hold more discussions with the government in the coming weeks.
The John Horgan government last year budgeted $7 billion towards its plan to build new and affordable housing for British Columbians, including for seniors.
The plan follows the NDP government’s 2017 election pledge to provide 114,000 new residential housing units in 10 years.
READ MORE: Seniors, families focus of B.C. rental housing fund
Blair McBride
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