CBS needs more seniors housing, Mayor and Hillier agree

By Craig Westcott \ May 26, 2023

The Town of CBS can’t make developers tailor more of their units for seniors, but it is encouraging them to do so, councillor-at-large Rex Hillier indicated last week.

“Earlier this week I received an e-mail from a resident concerned about the lack of housing for seniors in the town and wondering if the Town is involved with helping to alleviate that concern,” Hillier noted at last week’s public council meeting. “I know that we’ve all heard that from residents around town. We all know people who are living as single seniors in the old family home and can’t get out, have nowhere to go, nowhere to move in. So, I guess the answer is yes, we as a council, as individuals, we are aware of those issues. What we can do about it as a council is maybe very little. But we have encouraged over the years our developers to get involved in seniors housing.”
Hillier said the Town has tried to foster a planning environment to make it easier for developers to build seniors housing. And there are several developments in the hopper that are suited for seniors housing, he added.  

“We ask our residents to watch out for those as they come to fruition,” Hillier said.

Mayor Darrin Bent allowed Hillier summarized the situation correctly.

Bent noted the need for both seniors housing and affordable housing. “And it’s got to make you wonder in this economy what’s affordable housing anymore and who can afford it,” he admitted. “That’s a really difficult thing especially with the interest rates. So, encouraging our developers and working with (the) planning (department) to try to get more mixed housing in our community is absolutely something that we’ve got to continue to do.”