Posts Tagged ‘Rentals’

Americans Moving to Canada in Search of More Affordable Seniors’ Housing and Health Care?

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

I read a comment about this recently. The writer was hypothesizing that as costs for seniors’ housing and health care rise in the US, Americans might move to Canada or Mexico in search of more affordable alternatives.

In both cases (i.e. Canada and Mexico) the fly in the ointment for Americans actually contemplating such a move would be health care and immigration policies, but aside from that, are costs really cheaper in Canada? My first reaction was scepticism but upon re-reading a few brochures I picked up at the recent ALFA conference in Phoenix, I thought: “well, maybe it IS cheaper in Canada, at least for some types of housing and health care”.

For example, at the Forum at Desert Harbor, the daily rate for a private room in the long term care component of the campus is $280, which is to say just over $100,000 per year. There aren’t many private pay long term care facilities in Canada that are charging $280 per day.

But at the same time, the rate at the Forum for a two bedroom 922 square foot independent living apartment is only $2,868 per month (the meal package includes breakfast and one other meal). The Forum is an upscale project with lots of amenities including a lakefront location, a pool, and a grapefruit tree, to say nothing of that desert climate.

Americans would have a tough time finding a similar value in Canada. The trick at the Forum is obviously to stay out of long term care!

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What’s new in Winnipeg

Monday, April 26th, 2010

I spent a few days in the warm sunshine in Winnipeg last week and toured several supportive housing projects while there.  If I were writing this in Manitoba I would say I had toured several assisted living projects, because the terminology is reversed in our two provinces. Manitobans describe projects that provide hospitality services and personal care as supportive housing; projects that provide only hospitality services are called assisted living.

One project in particular caught my attention—The Canoe Club, adjacent to what used to be a very popular recreational facility in Winnipeg years ago. The golf course is still there, but little else remains of the club’s former glory.

The Canoe Club is a 102 unit project, owned and operated by the Caleb Group. The Caleb Group, which is headquartered in Saskatoon, owns 12 projects across Canada and is busily developing others. Two of their projects are located in Winnipeg—Cathedrale Manor in St Boniface and The Canoe Club, in St Vital.

As all faithful readers of this blog know, I have toured a LOT of seniors’ housing projects all over North America but I was very impressed with The Canoe Club. It is quite beautiful—no other word will do. Interestingly, people can buy or rent any unit in the building, although the Caleb Group intends to retain ownership of a majority of the units, which will be offered on a rental basis. This is a smart move for the Caleb Group and for all The Canoe Club residents, owners and renters alike.

More on The Canoe Club in future posts.

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What’s New in Toronto

Monday, March 15th, 2010

I just got back from the 3d Canadian Seniors Housing Forum, organized by Insight Information. As the first presenter at the two day conference, I had the opportunity to say everything first! That can be a great advantage. My presentation was entitled “A Year in Review” and over the next two or three weeks I will be posting some of the content of my presentation and of others as well.

Whenever I am faced with the five hour flight and three hour time change required of a visit to Toronto, I try to take maximum advantage of my time there. This time I toured two new projects—Origin at Evergreen in Mississauga, and The Dunfield, near Yonge and Eglinton. Evergreen is a big project: 160 condos, 140 rental units, and 45,000 square feet of amenity space, with another 54 garden flat condo units slated for the next phase.  The Dunfield is big too, at least by Vancouver standards: 177 rental units.  I’d characterize Evergreen as mid-range and The Dunfield as high end (eg two bedroom units topping out at $8,400 per month, although studios start at $3,300).

I am going to be coming back to these two projects in future posts, but for now I am going to focus on—wait for it!—laundry equipment. I haven’t quite got over the fabulous red chandelier in The Dunfield’s spa, although it is definitely something to be seen, but I have always taken perhaps an unhealthy interest in washers and dryers and that’s what I want to talk about today. The Dunfield includes a washer/dryer in each unit, even the studios. If people have absolutely no desire ever to do any laundry in their own unit, the appliances will be removed to create additional storage space, but few people have so far made this request.

Elsewhere in the country, in-suite washers and dryers are uncommon in supportive rental projects, the theory being that 80+ residents don’t want to do their own laundry and don’t want to give up storage space. But in light of our endless quest to lower the average age of entry into supportive housing, in-suite washers and dryers can be one way to help foster that sense of independence so valued by our customers.

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