PART THREE: THE HOUSING CRUNCH aiting lists a fact of life For most 55 ‘plus suitable housing not easy to find “SENIORS. HOUSING WHEN BILL MUR- DOCH’S monthly apart- ment rent in West Van- couver hit the $1,000 mark in the mid-’80s, the senior citizen told his wife that he couldn’t stand this any more and the couple decid- ed to look for another place. By Anna Marie D’Angelo News Reporter Murdoch, now aged 80, and his wife, Betty, moved into their current ‘‘affordable’’ home in 1986. They live at Ambleview seniors’ cooperative in West Van- couver, “Weare .very, very happy,” said Murdoch. Since his move to the seniors’ complex, Murdoch has been 4 seniors’ housing advocate. He is “associated with seniors’- housing builders and coordinates . people wanting to live in a North Shore seniors’ cooperative through a list of names. Currently, his list contains 114 names from West Vancouver, 65 from North Vancouver District and 25 from North Vancouver Ci- ty. ; To register for a co-op, Mur- doch charges $35. He says the fee paid helps indicate that seniors are serious about wanting to live in a co-op. ‘ Murdoch became active in seniors’ housing shortly after he signed up for his home. “The way we moved :is Betty saw in the North Shore News an article. where West Vancouver council were developing a co-op. She said, ‘Why don’t you go over and: see what it’s all about?’,” said Murdoch. . “T was sitting there (in council chambers) and within five minutes 1 knew that was exactly where ! wanted to live,’’ said Murdoch. Like similar vacancies. today, the 42-unit co-op was filled quickly. Murdoch said there are currently 50 people on a waiting list wanting to move into Ambleview. There is a waiting list’ despite reluctance by some people to buy into a building whose land is leas- ed from the municipality for 60 BioGuard Authorized Pool and Spa CS Care Center Bright Pools NEWS photo Mika Wakeliald wesT VANCOUVER seniors' housing advocate Bill Murdoch (left) keeps a list of seniors wanting to get into North Shore co- operatives. Murdoch is shown here with Bud Anderson, who is treasurer of two seniors’ co-ops. years. . For people like Murdoch and Edith-Mary Stevenson, who was featured in Part ! of this series, moving to a_ smaller, centraily located, and affordable home for seniors was relatively easy. But they appear to be in a lucky minority. For most seniors, called ‘the silent majority’? by one builder, finding suitable housing is not that easy. Port Moody senior Carmal Mortensen says it’s very hard to find seniors’ housing on the North Shore. She is recently widowed and wants to live near her daughter and grandchildren who reside in Lynn Valley. “t's not great at all. There is just not enough out there,”’ said Mortensen. Like many seniors, Mortensen plans to sell her house when a P ritable condominium becomes - available for sale. **] don’t want to go to an ordi- nary place where you don’t know or talk to your next-door neighbors. I'm looking for some- thing in the seniors’ fine where ‘you can be independent if you want, but you can have people and activities around you, if you want that too,”’ said Mortensen. ., Mortensen is aware that new seniors’ buildings are in the works, but she would like to move now. According to two recent reports on seniors’ housing conducted for North Vancouver City and North Vancouver District, one-third of seniors surveyed in the city and one-half of seniors surveyed in the district said they would like to move from their homes within the _ next few years, Some real estate agents say that the impact of the surveys’ results may not be as dramatic as it ap- pears because many seniors talk about moving for up to 10 years before move. Lionsview Seniors’ Planning Society is conducting a third survey of West Vancouver right now. At 20%, West Vancouver has the largest population of seniors of all three North Shore suburbs. To do the West Vancouver study, Lionsview volunteers will be on hand at focal churches and community centres to help people, aged 55 years and over, fill in surveys. 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