The Mountain View Seniors' Housing budget for 2013 as well as the business plan to 2016 was presented to Olds council last week, with requisitions to member municipalities being maintained until 2016.
MVSH wants to eliminate the requisition to municipalities by 2018.
On Thursday, the MVSH board passed a $7.9 million budget for 2013.
MVSH currently asks all member councils for $507,000 per year to cover the costs that low-income seniors can't pay because their income is too low.
Sam Smalldon, chief administrative officer of MVSH, told councillors that the body wrote to Alberta Municipal Affairs last December asking for a change in governance structure from the current management body that requisitions municipalities to a self-sustaining non-profit corporation. Ray Danyluk, minister of municipal affairs wrote MVSH that ministry officials would meet with MVSH, but that has yet to happen.
Smalldon told councillors that part of MVSH's mandate includes advocating for seniors both with and without families to get them the income they deserve, but are not receiving.
“I would like the province to lift the veil on giving seniors the money they deserve if they need it without having to apply for it,” Smalldon said, adding that he hopes the provincial government would give eligible seniors the income supports they are eligible for, rather than the present practice of making them apply for income supplements. In many cases, Smalldon said, seniors or their families aren't aware of the income supports they are eligible for.
“The government makes them apply, fill out a form, and sign, in order to get (the Alberta seniors benefit) … the point being it would be just much easier, and it would make sure everybody gets it if they just sent it to people who meet those criteria,” he said.
Because some seniors don't know how to apply, or aren't aware that they qualify for income supplements, Smalldon said MVSH will be starting an advocacy campaign so that seniors or their families get the money to seniors that they are entitled to.
“We can tell the province and the federal government that these people are here, can you please help them. We can be educating (seniors and families) and helping them find the sources to (help financially),” he said.
Smalldon told councillors MVSH would like to get 25 per cent of senior residents paying full price. Currently that figure stands at 13 per cent, he said. By residents paying the full cost of housing and by the provincial government making programs seniors can take advantage of more transparent, Smalldon said that would lessen the amount that municipalities are requisitioned.
“If (the provincial government) has any programs that we believe would help seniors, we tell them ‘please do your best and if you need to improve, please improve what you do,'” he said, adding that government is aware of these issues.
Smalldon said while MVSH would like to raise revenues, because it is a non-profit organization, it still wants to provide a place for low-income seniors to call home. He said revenue increases would only cover expenses the MVSH currently has. Because MVSH currently has a $134,117deficit in the requisitions it charges to municipalities to cover low-income seniors, rents will have to increase. As a result, the MVSH board approved a five per cent rent increase Jan. 1, 2013 and a further five per cent increase July 1, 2013.
Smalldon said in addition to raising rents, the agency is adding units when it can and adding more seniors that pay the full cost.
“Our goal is to do that and not lose money. We're not in the for-profit business, we're in the not-for-profit business which means that we need to charge prices that cover our costs,” he said.
Smalldon told councillors that MVSH wants to improve security at all the lodges. Smalldon said the backup generator that was installed at Mount View Lodge in Olds with the renovation will be added to all other facilities across Mountain View County. MVSH wants to spend $100,000 to upgrade security at each of the agency's four lodges throughout Mountain View County. MVSH plans on spending $1 million on capital investment by 2016.
Smalldon told councillors that MVSH is not in the health-care business, but rather the housing business. Part of that business also includes providing housing to low-income families as well.
“We are not in the health-care business. We are in the housing business,” Smalldon told councillors, adding, “we find that … (seniors) still have a need for community.”
