‘It’s a growing, alarming trend’: seniors experiencing homelessness in Calgary

Seniors experiencing homelessness are one of the fastest-growing groups in Canada.

Seniors are one of the fastest-growing groups experiencing homelessness in Canada, and a local social agency says it’s seen a spike in Calgary.

Carya has a team that works with Calgarians 55 and older.

Last year, they helped about 70 people who are homeless or at risk of becoming unhoused.

Already this year, they’ve helped over 80, including 63-year-old Kevin, who worked his whole life but says declining health changed his circumstances.

He’s spent two years living in shelters and anywhere he could outside.

“It’s not like I was causing problems,” Kevin said. “I was just trying to survive. I mean, they’ve given me hope I’m going to find something, get housed again.”

“There’s programs such as ours that exist to help navigate the system and make connections,” said Jocelyn Cuthbert Mora of Carya, “because it’s not a new problem -- but it’s a growing, alarming trend.”

Carya says people between the ages of 55 and 65 often fall through the cracks, since they’re too young for pensions and some income supports -- but sometimes unable to work due to health.

With files from CTV’s Alesia Fieldberg