Kate Chung Has A Message

 Message from Kate Chung

Why can’t I find any accessible housing in Toronto?
I am doing everything I can to keep myself and my 88-year-old husband safe, writes advocate for Accessible Housing Network.
By Kate Chung

Kate Chung is co-chair of the Accessible Housing Network advocacy group and is an outspoken advocate for older adults seeking to find suitable housing to age in place.

A widening gulf between the cost of rent or mortgage payments and the paycheques of Ontario residents is putting shelter out of reach for many. This housing crisis has hit individuals already disadvantaged much harder. To mark National Housing Day on Nov. 22, Shelter from the Storm, a Metroland news series, explores deepening cracks in the foundation and amplifies the voices of those often left out of the conversation.

I‘m 83 years old. I cannot find any accessible housing in Toronto. Why?

I am doing everything I can to keep myself and my 88-year-old husband safe. What if one of us falls and breaks a hip? Will that spell doom for us? I am terrified of being forced into a long-term “care” jail.
Only seniors, people with disabilities and criminals are locked up in Canada.

StatsCan reports that 27 per cent of Canadians age 15 to 65 have disabilities (28 per cent in Ontario). This does not include older adults.

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) reports it costs the same to build a new apartment whether it’s accessible or not.

It’s renovations to existing housing which are expensive.

With all the housing being built now, if even half is accessible it will make a tremendous difference to thousands of people. I’m afraid we are missing a unique opportunity to meet the need. If this new housing is not built using universal design, current and future generations will be doomed to suffer in non-accessible housing or be will institutionalized against their will.

Builders lament that they can’t sell the condos they have built. However, clearly they’re not building what people need. Older adults are trapped in inaccessible homes because there are no accessible or adaptable apartments available.

I want the right to choose where I live — staying in my current home or a small co-operative home in my neighbourhood. If I need cleaning help, nourishing food, Personal Support Workers, this must be simple to arrange.

The problem is lack of political will. Politicians argue among themselves, passing the buck from one level of government to another. The federal government has actually said that housing is not in their jurisdiction! The provinces say the National Building Code must change first. Municipalities say the provincial Building Code must change before they can take action. This huge roadblock is due to politicians’ lack of empathy.

All new housing of any kind in Canada should be Universal Design (accessible to people of all ages and abilities.)

This is now the law in Australia and Finland. Canada can do it too.

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Canadian Human Rights Act, the provincial Human Rights Codes, and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol all prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities. But this is ignored by every level of government.

Ironically, the benefits of having adaptable universal design housing would save every level of government millions of dollars every year.

Fewer falls

Fewer ambulance calls

Fewer ER visits

Fewer hospitalizations

Reduced need for in-home household and PSW support help

Reduced caregiver burnout

Reduced costs for long-term care facilities. (Many people able to remain in their accessible homes.)

Protection of seniors and persons with disabilities from catastrophes like those in long-term care during the pandemic

Improved mental and physical health Increased employment of people with disabilities
Prevention of costly future renovations. It’s 2025, folks!

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