There is no greater indication of the remorselessness of the housing crisis than the growing number of seniors being made homeless.
With pensions and disability benefits failing to keep pace with soaring rents, older adults across Metro Vancouver and Victoria are losing their housing at unprecedented rates.
The most recent stats show that older adults make up nearly a quarter of Vancouver’s homeless population. The 2025 Greater Vancouver homeless count reported 5,232 individuals were homeless, with 22% aged 55 and up.
Half of these homeless seniors (47%) told the survey team they had found themselves on the streets for the first time in their lives as a senior.
At PHS Community Services Society we’ve got 30 years’ experience providing supportive housing and services specifically designed to lift people out of homelessness, and we’ve never seen anything like the current housing crisis.
We have 36 residences, collectively housing and sheltering 1,950 people. We’re attuned to the specific needs of older residents as many of our established residents are aging in place and we’re also seeing many new, first-time residents who are older.
Mary
Vancouver resident Mary, aged 65, talks about becoming settled and healthy over her time living with us.
One of our original residents, Mary moved into PHS supportive housing in the mid ‘90s back when what is now the Pennsylvania Hotel was called the Portland Hotel.
“My friend was staying in the building and introduced me to PHS,” she recalls. “I was living in the street, and they helped me out.
“It happened very quickly. I got my own room with a locking door, and they helped me get on methadone.”
Mary doesn’t like to look back on the approximately five years she spent unhoused. She tries to keep those years in the past to hold PTSD nightmares at bay. Having come to Vancouver from Chilliwack aged around 15, Mary survived unimaginable trauma in her early years.
She’s now flourishing living in another of our housing sites with a wide cross section of residents as neighbours.
“There’s a community feeling in this building, and I love it,” she said. “PHS staff helped my daughter find a place nearby, where she lives with her baby. I can babysit my grandson any time I want.”
With the help of PHS, Mary has successfully quit street drugs. She explained that the turning point came when she held her grandson for the first time. It was at that time, while tapering her methadone use and feeling secure in her housing situation, Mary felt ready to take the next step toward recovery.
Mary shared more reasons why she loves living at PHS, “Everything here is so clean. The food here is excellent, and I’m really grateful for the help of a homemaker for my room. And I’ve got a cat.
“The staff and neighbours make it a really relaxed place to live. I’ve finally got somewhere that feels like home. I like coming home. I’m happy here.”
Having survived homelessness and various kinds of insecurity, Mary is attuned to how the building’s security systems – video entry and decent locks – keeps the building safe and manageable.
Healing trauma can be the journey of a lifetime. Mary says one of her current goals is to enjoy the security she has now and to use it to worry less.
Jan
Other residents come to PHS as seniors, having survived years of appalling living conditions. People such as Jan, now aged 66 and living in one of our Victoria buildings.
Three years ago, Jan found herself suddenly homeless through eviction after a disagreement with her landlord. At the time, she was also reeling from the sudden deaths of her husband and daughter.
She was working two jobs and going to school when the eviction occurred.
During the eviction process, she lost many possessions, including items that were really important like baby pictures, pictures of her husband, letters from her daughters. Everything she owned was all gone.
That’s when Jan turned to PHS for help.
“I’m just a person that needed housing who moved in with PHS, and I love the place,” she said. “It’s run by really good people. I’m disabled and they do my laundry, and there’s good food. I’m happy as heck here.
“I couldn’t believe people were actually helping me. I’ve always done things for myself.
“Having stable housing means my life. I enjoy coming home. I’ve got a beautiful apartment. What more can you ask for?
“I’m safe here.”
With this security, Jan’s now working on herself, having substantially reduced her use of illicit drugs. Once she’s done recuperating from hip replacement surgery in early November she says she’ll be looking for work and enjoying her golden years watching her grandchildren grow up.
As for why people should consider making a donation to PHS to support our frontline work, Jan was direct: “People need money, people need food and you need clothing to help the people that have just come out of a real rotten shitshow of a life.”
It’s true. Although the pain of being homeless and disregarded in almost unfathomable, everyone can understand how stability and housing give people a fighting chance for peace and dignity.
This year, our Holiday Season campaign goal is $100,000.
Please consider a donation to PHS that can change the course of someone’s life: www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/138546
