Two post-secondary students met their new neighbours Tuesday at Silvera’s retirement home in Calgary.
It’s part of a new intergenerational pilot program to help students find housing and older adults find new programs and companionship.
Mary Shakir says she worked at the facility last summer and, considering her family is back in Ontario, it’s almost like coming home.
“It will help me so much to be successful with my school because I feel I am living with my family,” she said.
In the context of a housing crisis, both students feel lucky they were chosen.
The private room and dining privileges will cost only $500 a month but also require 30 hours a month of volunteering.
Shannon Penner, who will be finishing a psychology degree this fall, says it’s like getting a gift.
“It’ll be around $1,000 to $1,500 a month I will be saving.”
Mary Shakir, a Pharmacy Technician student says it’s a game saver.
“It is amazing for a student like myself — especially with the housing crisis which now is increasing. The rent is so expensive.”
The rooms will be studio apartments that usually rent for $2,900 a month. Bonita Paquette, founder of Canadian Alliance for Intergenerational Living, says the pilot program is possible because of a $25,000 grant from the federal government.
“They are looking for affordable housing options. Rents are soaring. I don’t really understand how they can afford to live here anymore. The problem is just getting worse.
“We found an opportunity to do this because there are vacancies in seniors’ homes. On the other hand, the seniors are experiencing social isolation, loneliness, especially since COVID.”
Phyllis Massier has lived at Westview by Silvera for almost two years. She’s 95 years young and loves the idea of having new neighbours.
“The people are all very friendly and, I don’t know, we are just like a big family, really.”
Penner says the rooms are great.
“I love it. I think it’s going to be like a vacation, a permanent vacation for eight months, being in a hotel suite. I love that it is going to be my own space so I can study and do my volunteer hours, and just focus on those two things while I am here.”
Paquette says the hope is it will become the norm rather than a one-year pilot program.
“The idea is to have intergenerational living become normal thing in Canada. It really isn’t the norm here. In other countries they have been doing this for many years. The Netherlands, France, even the U.S., has been doing this since 2010.”