By Patrick Burles - @PatrickBurles with files from Geoff Smith - @smithco

Joint government funding to support senior and low-income housing in Lethbridge

Mar 10, 2017 | 2:39 PM

LETHBRIDGE – The federal and provincial governments have come together, to support seniors and those living in low-income housing in Lethbridge.

They are investing $1.3-million to upgrade and repair seniors and affordable housing units around the city, with the money going towards mechanical projects, sidewalk improvements and dealing with accessibility issues.

Of that funding, $1.2-million is dedicated to the Green Acres Foundation.

“We’re looking at one of our vulnerable populations,” stated Lethbridge-East MLA, Maria Fitzpatrick, following the announcement at the Garden View Lodge, owned by Green Acres. “We absolutely have to respect that [seniors] were the ones that brought us the home that we live in, and I believe that we owe them that respect, to make sure their living conditions are living conditions that they would have in their home.”

When asked if more help might be coming from the Alberta government, Fitzpatrick  stayed relatively non-committal.

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“I think this is the first step, and I really can’t say more than that right now, but I think it’s the first step,” she explained. “I’m a senior, and I’m in a position where I can really advocate on their behalf, because I know what it’s like and I know what it was like with my mom and dad, lots of friends that are in senior’s residences here in Lethbridge. I believe that we should be providing the absolute best that we can for our seniors.”

As for the impact the money will have for the Green Acres Foundation, CEO Dawna Coslovi says it will be significant. She explained that they are always in need of financial assistance, and this will allow them to move forward right away with projects that may have been years away.

“We are going to do some energy efficiency things, like changing over to LED lights at a couple of our buildings, that should really help save some energy,” said Coslovi of some of the work that will stand out. “At [Garden View Lodge], we’re going to do an elevator modernization… and also the HVAC plant, we’re going to be replacing that one here too.

“We’re going to be changing out some bathtubs to walk-in showers,” She added. “For seniors, that little step over the bathtub is a huge step, so we really hope that that’s going to make things a little bit easier, and allow seniors to keep their independence for a lot longer.”

The other organizations in Lethbridge to receive funding were:

-Lethbridge Housing Authority – $15,000
-YWCA of Lethbridge and District – $72,000
-Southern Alcare Society of Lethbridge – $75,000
-L’Arche Association of Lethbridge – $9,000

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