A Lloydminster senior told a local housing organization last month she can no longer afford to buy cookies for her grandchildren.
The comment came April 28 during a meeting of the Lloydminster Concerned Citizens for Seniors Care Society, where representatives from the Lloydminster Region Housing Group fielded questions about rent increases at facilities they manage.
The resident said her rent has climbed 25 per cent since she first moved in, with another 16.67 per cent increase coming next year – a combined jump of 41.67 per cent over two years. Her income, meanwhile, grew by $14 through the Canada Pension Plan and $1.66 through Old Age Security between December and January.
“I guess I just need to know why there’s such an increase when we go down the hallways and the linoleum is duct taped together,” she said.
Leslie Lorenz, with the Lloydminster Region Housing Group, said the rent geared to income program is designed to protect exactly that kind of resident.
“No resident of ours will pay more than 30 per cent of their income,” Lorenz said.
She explained the calculation: staff take 30 per cent of a resident’s annual notice of assessment and divide by 12. That figure becomes the maximum rent, regardless of the building’s posted rate.
Lorenz said the organization also houses seniors who are not low-income, but the same ceiling applies. If a resident’s income is higher, they may pay closer to the listed rate – but never above the 30 per cent cap.
Last rent increases at the housing group’s Alberta facilities took effect in May 2023.
Capital repairs: why fixes take time
Stephanie Miller, also with the Lloydminster Region Housing Group, addressed seniors questions about deferred maintenance – cracked walls, worn flooring, and outstanding repairs at Fellowship Village.
She said any project costing more than $5,000 requires provincial approval before work can begin. The organization submits annual capital requests and is currently focused on boilers, windows, sidewalk repairs, and downspout work.
“We’re waiting on bids for those in order to get that work done ideally this summer,” Miller said.
She said rent collected at the buildings flows back to the province as a remittance, and capital funding comes from a separate provincial budget. Over the past two years, the housing group received more in capital dollars than it remitted back.
Miller credited community advocacy – including letters submitted by residents and local groups several years ago – with pushing the province to fund elevator work and sidewalk repairs at Fellowship Village.
“That was actually the first time they came out and took a look at the buildings and the properties,” Miller said, noting provincial officials had not visited in more than 10 years before that.
For emergencies, a faster approval stream exists – but Miller cautioned that the label does not guarantee a quick fix. A ruptured fire hydrant at Fellowship Village several years ago took four weeks to resolve despite being flagged as an emergency.
Wait lists and capacity
Miller said Pioneer Lodge currently has about eight people on its wait list, with typical move-in times of three to six months.
Senior self-contained units operate differently. A scoring system based on priority need determines placement, with 56 people currently on the list. There is no defined timeline.
She also confirmed the housing group operates only in Alberta – in Lloydminster, Kitscotty, and Marwayne – and has no jurisdiction over Saskatchewan programs.
One attendee pressed on whether Alberta seniors waiting for long-term care in Lloydminster could access local facilities. Miller said system flow for continuing care on the Alberta side of Lloydminster is still managed through Saskatchewan, including its 150-kilometre placement policy.
Miller closed by noting the housing group is working toward an application to the Alberta Partnership Program in January for a Pioneer Lodge expansion, with Class C pricing currently underway.
“Hopefully by this time next year, we’ll have some good news to share,” she said.
Read more: ‘Keep our seniors home,’ residents tell Aalbers