The lack of affordable and accessible housing in Alberta is frustrating many people with disabilities.
Thirty-six-year-old Amanda Renneberg lives in Sherwood Park, Alta., and is looking to move to Calgary. She has a rare neuromuscular condition and is an electric wheelchair user.
Renneberg currently relies on Alberta Income Support for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) to afford rent and necessities. She also has a caregiver who assists with daily needs, also paid through government funds.
However, the lack of affordable wheelchair-accessible homes in Calgary means Renneberg is stuck at Sherwood Park. She only gets $1,700 a month from AISH, and the majority of it is already spent on rent and food.
The only unit within her budget in Calgary is a basement unit but she cannot get down the stairs. Her caregiver has offered to carry her but it is unsafe, she said.
“I feel stuck in here. I’m trying to move to Calgary to go to SAIT (Southern Alberta Institute of Technology) and the cost of living is just so outrageous,” Renneberg told Global News.
“I’m on government assistance and all the wheelchair-accessible places are waitlisted. There’s nowhere for me to go.”
There also aren’t a lot of accessible units in Sherwood Park and Renneberg is currently living in a unit that is not wheelchair accessible. The sink is too high and she can’t get her wheelchair into the bathroom.
Someone has to physically lift her and put her on the toilet whenever she needs to use it, she said.
Renneberg has also been waitlisted for several affordable and accessible units in Sherwood Park, which is the biggest hurdle for her right now. She added that she’s contacted every agency that could help her, but nothing has come up.
Her only choice is to go into a facility with the elderly, which is something she said she doesn’t want to do.
“I don’t know how I’m going to afford a place to live,” Renneberg said.
“I’m so independent and I need help to do everything. It’s so frustrating.”
Teneille Bradley, interim executive director for Accessible Housing Calgary, said more and more people are seeking affordable and accessible housing in the city.
More than 50,000 Calgarians have an income of less than $40,000 a year, and Bradley said the majority of them are looking for suitable and accessible housing.
Only 10 per cent of residential units in Calgary are fully accessible, she said.
“I think there’s a common misconception within builders or landlords about the benefits of accessibility,” Bradley told Global News.
“It’s not just for individuals with limited mobility. It can also benefit a parent with a stroller or a senior wanting to age in place.
“The principles of accessibility and universal design do benefit everyone.”
Bradley said the minimum accessibility requirements for new residential units need to be changed.
Inclusio is a fully accessible, supportive living home for adults with limited mobility who require some assistance with daily activities but also need autonomy and independence. It is run by Accessible Housing Calgary and is also affordable, meaning all residents earn less than $46,000 a year.
Bradley also hopes all levels of government will provide funding for the construction of new accessible residences. There is a long waitlist for accessible housing in Calgary and wait times depend on if the applicant is an individual or a family, she said.
“Everyone is facing that struggle. We do see people trying to move to Calgary to accessible homes like Inclusio but with it being the only one, it’s a problem,” she said.
“What’s happening right now is people are just living in a scenario that doesn’t meet their affordability requirements or their accessibility requirements or both.
“I think there is a lot of opportunity to improve.”