Access to Community Support Services among Older Adults in Social Housing in Ontario

Community support services are an integral enabler of aging in place. In social housing, older adult tenants struggle to access these services because of the siloed nature of housing and health services. This study examined the provision of government-funded community support services to 83 seniors' social housing buildings in Toronto, Ontario. Although there were 56 different agencies operating within the buildings, only about one third of older tenants were actually receiving services. There was a subset of services that were available in more than 80 per cent of the buildings, and the most widely accessed services were food supports, crisis intervention, transportation, caregiver support, and hearing/vision care. There were also many cases in which multiple agencies offered duplicative services within the same building, suggesting that there are opportunities for improving service coordination. Practice recommendations for increasing access to community support services among low-income older adults in social housing are provided.

Automated summary

Community support services are essential for aging in place, but older adult tenants in social housing struggle to access these services. This study examined the provision of government-funded community support services in 83 seniors' social housing buildings in Toronto, Ontario. The study found that only about one third of older tenants were actually receiving services, despite the presence of 56 different agencies operating within the buildings. The most widely accessed services included food supports, crisis intervention, transportation, caregiver support, and hearing/vision care. The study also identified opportunities for improving service coordination, as multiple agencies offered duplicative services in the same building. Practice recommendations for increasing access to community support services among low-income older adults in social housing are provided.