A group called the Older Women’s Network is holding an open meeting with Peterborough City Council on March 1 to discuss options for better housing for low-income seniors in the community.
The meeting, to be held at Crestwood Secondary School, will also examine the housing issues faced by others with mobility issues, mental health issues, and people who have had strokes or car accidents who need places to stay, said Charlene Avon, a member of OWN.
The idea is to bring women together to talk about avoiding tragedies, such as that of Avon’s mother, who died in 1989 after a two-year illness.
“We did not know until after she passed that she could not afford her drugs,” Avon said. “She was cutting them in half and making them stretch.”
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Many seniors lack the money to pay for their basic health needs, such as medication, and in turn, they can’t afford rent or other housing costs, said Jill Jones, chair of OWN. “There’s a lot of women who need housing, and they need good quality housing.”
Jones said women need homes that can be adapted to residents’ needs as they age. The concept is called, “Living in Place,” Jones explained.
“It’s built in such a way that you can adapt whatever needs that you have as you age, so that people can stay in their home.”
That’s one of the messages OWN will be presenting at the upcoming meeting with Peterborough council. Jones said the hope is to turn talk into action and help older women find ways to live a better life without having to stretch their resources.
“We are going to be reaching out to all of the politicians to say we need housing for all kinds of people,” Jones said.