Photo: Castanet

Out of the Cold operates a 24/7 10-bed shelter program for seniors called The Olive Branch, which is full each night.

With more seniors in the city experiencing homelessness, leaders of two Kamloops non-profits say more targeted supports — and more homes — are needed to help care for and shelter an aging population.

Last week, the City of Kamloops released data from last year’s Point-in-Time Count, noting there has been a 26 per cent increase in senior’s homelessness since 2021. Of the 313 people counted last year as experiencing homelessness, 24 per cent were 55 years of age and older.

“Seniors are experiencing homelessness at a rate that we have not previously seen,” said Renee Stein, executive director for Out of the Cold.

The non-profit operates The Olive Branch, a 10-bed shelter program for seniors in downtown Kamloops. Stein said the shelter is “continuously running at 100 per cent.”

She said in her experience, the majority of seniors aren’t coming into homelessness due to addictions. Instead, it’s due to a loss of their home or income, or the onset of health challenges that prevent them from being able to stay in their own residence.

Stein noted one senior at Out of the Cold had his house burn down. Another was living in an RV but had stroke and wasn’t able to keep himself warm over the winter.

The cost of housing is also a factor. Stein said many seniors coming to the shelter are making between $900 and $1,100 per month — a total amount that is well below rental prices in the city without factoring in costs of food or other necessities.

“What we need to understand is that different demographics within our homeless population are entering into homelessness for very different reasons — and have very different health and support needs,” Stein said.

“We really need to be intentional to how we are creating those supports, to make sure that they best fit that demographic.”

More housing needed

Bob Hughes, head of Ask Wellness, said the non-profit is also seeing an increase in senior homelessness “right at the front door."

He noted some of the increase tracked in the city's Point-in-Time count could be attributed in part to the larger proportion of baby boomers who are causing a demographic shift.

“We're seeing folks that are in their 60s and 70s scrambling to find housing, people being discharged that are seniors from the hospital,” he said."

He said the emergency shelter system should see some diversity to reflect varying needs, so people of all circumstances are able to feel safe and comfortable.

Hughes added the construction of housing for seniors is also vital, noting The Confluence, an Ask Wellness project on the North Shore, will include units for families and seniors once it is built.

“We just hope that further builds target these populations that obviously have been flagged as being susceptible to homelessness,” he said.

Stein said there’s a limited amount of supportive housing in Kamloops — and for seniors who don’t have substance use disorder, the existing housing units often aren't a good fit.

Stein said it’s important to identify root causes, addressing people’s needs before anyone is out on the streets. However, more specific supports are also needed for seniors who are already experiencing homelessness.

Out of the Cold, for the first time, has care aids coming into the shelter to help with things like showering and other hygiene and self-care tasks — jobs shelter staff aren’t trained to do.

“It’s beyond our scope of practice, but identifying that a lot of our high medical homeless and/or seniors are requiring those supports — and so how now do we help keep folks safe and and on the best health trajectory if we're not going to start bringing in those support systems,” Stein said.

Hope for shelter extension

Stein said Out of the Cold has been able to find housing for two people finding shelter with The Olive Branch each month.

“Our housing rate is at 20 per cent which is very high — like unheard of high, and so it's really exciting,” she said.

The province announced last week that while a 25-bed shelter operated by Out of the Cold in the former Stuart Wood schoolhouse has had its lease extended until next year, The Olive Branch will continue operating until the end of September.

Stein said the hope is that by the end of that month, The Olive Branch will fall under temporary winter shelter programming and be reinstated over the winter.

“With our seniors, I think everybody is in support of wanting to prioritize their safety, especially as it gets colder,” Stein said.