There was a time when Margaret Chafe felt fear.
She rocks slightly back and forth as she speaks, almost lost in her flower-cushioned couch, between fruit shaped candles, plants and paintings of winter landscapes on the wall.
One, placed on top of her fireplace, shows her in younger years beside her husband. The portrait looks across the small room, shy smiles on the faces reminding of days long past.
After 32 years, Chafe separated from her husband, leaving behind a battered relationship, and her fear. But she also left behind her financial safety net.
Her long-time disability pays her $1050 a month. The St. Albert apartment she lives in costs $995 a month. She has no other income and old age pension does not cover her until she’s 65.
Chafe is 59.
“I think this is what happens to a lot of women. They want to leave their environment but the finances stop them,” she said.
“They live in isolation, it’s rough and if they stay, their health, like mine, gets worse after so many years.”
Chafe has arthritis and diabetes, as well as a heart disease. She said it started with chest pains, and when the doctors told her that she had blockages she decided to leave her husband.
“I wanted a home where there was no troubles or shouting, just a peaceful home,” she said.
“It was a huge decision but I am happy I made the decision and I hope that makes it easier for other women who hear this.”
She once worked at a hospital – a job that now pays for her health coverage and medicine.
The food bank supplies her with groceries, and other organizations help her pay for gas and other expenses.
In the long run, Chafe said she is looking for a more affordable home.
Since January, the St. Albert Food Bank and Community Village has helped about 630 seniors in need.
Community liaison worker Fay Lucy said 50 to 70 of them are looking for subsidized or affordable housing.
The majority of them are women who relied on their late husband’s income, or recently left an abusive relationship.
“It’s difficult at any age but especially if you always had a roof over your head and were a taxpayer all your life and now you end up in dramatic circumstances. It’s just devastating to them,” Lucy said.
The Village assists in immediate housing needs, sets up appointments with other community-based social agencies, and provides assistance and counselling to those suffering from food and medical needs, abuse and unemployment.
But Lucy said there is little to no housing available for the poor in St. Albert.
For those with a working income, the Village offers a rental assistance program.
The program provides subsidized housing for low- to moderate-income families and individuals, who pay more than 30 per cent of their salary toward rent.
Seniors receiving the assistance must be at least 60 years old, and have lived in St. Albert for a minimum of six months. They cannot hold a mortgage, own property or live in already subsidized housing facilities.
Program coordinator Wendy Poirier said it’s a temporary solution. Funding is limited and the program assists with rental payments for only one year.
“Seniors’ benefits don’t give them enough money to live and even if I can give them the maximum subsidy, I still can’t even get their rental costs down to 30 per cent of their living costs,” she said.
She added that unlike many of the younger people, most seniors have experience in managing their finances.
“Who are we dictating to? The rental prices are the barriers. Some of them have to earn money, and you don’t want to be living with a roommate at 70 years old,” she said.
Richard Tansey, vice-president on the provincial board of Seniors United Now and past president of its St. Albert chapter, said the organization constantly receives phone calls from seniors unable to pay the next month’s rent.
Those facing the greatest difficulty are the working poor between 55 and 65 years of age. Their income is eaten up by the high cost of rent and food, with little money left to pay for medical and other needs.
“The need is in finding housing for low-income people, to find accommodation based on 30 per cent of what seniors and people on a fixed income and low incomes are making,” he said.
“But if you look at just over $1000 a month for income for seniors and you look at 30 per cent of that, where will you find accommodation for $300 a month.”
The organizations in the city that offer subsidized senior accommodations run at a loss. They require provincial or municipal aid and fundraisers to cover the shortfall.
The Sturgeon Foundation provides seniors with a number of affordable and subsidized housing options, such as lodges and self-contained units where seniors live independently.
Dennis Magnusson, executive director at the Foundation, said about 30 people are currently on a waiting list for rooms. The foundation has 418 units, all of which are full and have waiting times of two or more years.
In the meantime, he said, seniors rely on their families and friends.
“They have to stay in their existing environments. And families are often compromised and become caregivers,” Magnusson said.
“It affects their finances and often their jobs. It’s a challenge.”
He added that many seniors suffer from serious health issues. If families are unable to take care of their parents and home care services are inaccessible, seniors end up in the hospitals.
“And that’s not always the most appropriate place in the longer term and causes congestion at the hospital,” he said.
By 2031, Magnussen said the entire baby boom generation will have turned 65 and doubled today’s senior population. Governments and municipalities need to plan ahead if they want to be prepared for an aging population.
Already, 40 per cent of seniors living with the Foundation moved to St. Albert from outside the city limits, to be closer to local services and their families.
And according to a recent interview with Mayor Nolan Crouse, the city is not planning to invest in more affordable housing in the near future.
“We are concerned that the number of seniors is increasing in Canada, in Alberta, and in our area, and therefore the needs are increasing and it’s difficult to keep up,” Magnussen said.
Chafe said she does not consider moving for another year. She wants to look after her health first, and have peace in her heart.
She said most women look to be loved and treated with respect. But sometimes you have to swallow your pride and ask for help when life becomes too difficult.
“It’s all about the attitude. You can let yourself get depressed and I am not going to let that happen. Life is too important,” she said.
“I have a roof over my head and a bed to sleep in and I am warm. I am very grateful for the help that I get. Very grateful.”
