Ramsay seniors take next steps following demolition of historic hub

Four years after a hailstorm heavily damaged the building, the Ramsay Welcome Centre is coming down as residents begin to discuss what might replace it as part of their community hub.

The local seniors' centre has been located on Eighth Street S.E. since the 1970s. Before that, the building was actually located in West Hillhurst before being moved across the city, explains Denver Brust, vice-president internal with the Ramsay Community Association, adding the current community hall was built next door in the 1980s.

Homebuilding officials warn proposed governmental power shift could impact homebuyers in a big way

Before Calgarians step into a voting booth to elect a new city council a year from now, there could be a whole new ball game of city governance over everything from land assessments to affordable housing and even new taxing powers.

New city charters originally proposed in 2014, and only recently made available for public feedback, are intended to give new powers and responsibilities to Alberta's two largest municipalities. They may affect Calgarians on everything from residential speed limits and fines, environmental protection, integration of land-use and transportation strategies and investment to civic administrative efficiencies that stretch from council roles to establishment of bylaw tribunals.

And there will almost certainly be changes that impact the homebuilding industry, and ultimately homebuyers.

Visitable housing offers more than accessibility for disabled individuals; it could be the future of single family homes in an increasingly aged society. So why isn't it catching on?

Carla Berezowski looks at many of Calgary's new neighbourhoods from the last decade and sees missed opportunities.

A specialist in barrier-free design, the consultant works mostly with aging Calgarians, retrofitting their homes to accommodate mobility needs.

"People are usually reacting to a situation like, 'My mom fell' and they want to make their house accessible to accommodate aging parents," said Berezowski, owner of Aging in Place Calgary.

Seniors officials praise program designed to promote aging in place

Local seniors' housing officials are praising a new provincial government program designed to assist seniors who want to "age in place" in their homes rather than having to move.

The Seniors Home Adaptation and Repair Program (SHARP), approved earlier this month, offers low-interest, home-equity-based loans to seniors, which can be used for renovations or repairs to make a home more suitable for their needs.

Seniors' groups welcome potential option to aging in place

Seniors' advocates in Calgary are cautiously praising a city council decision to look at a University of Calgary pilot project that's studying laneway housing as an option to aging in place.

In mid-May, council agreed to support a motion by Coun. Gian-Carlo Cara that would have City administration work with the university as it embarks on the next phase of its Aging-In-Place Laneway Housing project.

Kerby Centre CEO Luanne Whitmarsh called the idea, "a really interesting concept," but added more study needs to be done, such as ensuring that, "it isn't just going to make more isolation.

"Also, what does it look like? If (seniors) still need support and there are people entering the home instead of a grassy front yard, it's a back alley. We have to look at quality of life," she said.

Province examines low-interest home loans as part of Bill 5

The Alberta government is proposing legislation that could assist seniors looking to age in place.

The proposed Seniors' Home Adaptation and Repair Act would enable a new low-interest home equity loan program to help seniors improve the safety and sustainability of their homes.

Bill 5, the Seniors' Home Adaptation and Repair program, would allow senior homeowners who qualify to finance essential home repairs and adaptations, including widening doorways or hallways, installing walk-in tubs, roof replacements and electrical repairs.

New initiative highlights growing housing concern

The City of Calgary has embarked on a three-year strategy to develop a more "age-friendly" city in light of some estimates that have the local senior population nearly doubling within the next decade.

Dubbed the Seniors Age-Friendly Strategy, the plan calls for the creation of community networks focused on issues such as housing, transportation and mobility.

Proposed actions include increasing the provincial standard for provincially funded affordable housing from 10 to 15 per cent, advocating for sustainable provincial funding for the development of new affordable housing and introducing a Land Use Bylaw Amendment to allow for more secondary suites.

Provincial-Federal funding to support senior housing in rural communities

A joint federal-provincial initiative will provide $160 million over four years to support renovations or replacements of seniors' lodge properties outside of Alberta's major centres.

"Nearly 70 per cent of all seniors' lodge units are in communities outside of Alberta's major centres," said Seniors Minister Jeff Johnson. "Multi-year investments like this are critical to ensuring aging properties are appropriately maintained or replaced."

The province announced it will work with housing management bodies to complete a full evaluation of seniors' lodges to determine priority projects.

Calgary's secondary suite saga continues, focus turns to ageing in place

It just might be the suite that broke the camel's back.

City council debated rezoning one secondary suite for more than three hours on Oct. 6, leaving many since then to further question the process surrounding the issue.

Several residents from the northwest community of North Haven appeared before council to speak against an application to rezone property to include a secondary suite. Included in those speaking against was Sonya Staveley who lives between Nesbitt and Nolan roads, an area zoned RC-1, not allowing secondary suites. She said it's the process of filing for secondary suites that needs to change.

Calgary seniors have a new option for affordable living in the historic community of Inglewood.

Inglewood House is a three-story, 43-unit complex, said a release from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), complete with 10 studio and 33 one-bedroom apartments, five of which are barrier free. The project was a joint effort of the Governments of Canada and Alberta.