Urgency
Why This Matters Now
The town of Vanderhoof urgently needs safe, supportive homes for adults with developmental disabilities. Without further investment, they will continue to face displacement, isolation, and unsafe living situations. Charis strives to ensure every person experiences the dignity of a home, access to care, and a community that embraces them long term.
In British Columbia, the "aging-at-home" crisis is uniquely amplified for seniors who remain primary caregivers for their neurodivergent adult children. Many of these parents are now in their 70s or 80s, providing 24/7 care for adults with autism or intellectual disabilities while simultaneously navigating their own age-related health declines and financial precarity.
This creates a "double-aging" vulnerability: as parents lose the physical strength or cognitive clarity to manage complex needs, they face the terrifying reality of no "empty nest" and no clear succession plan.
Supportive housing—ranging from staffed residential homes to cluster living and shared living—acts as a critical safety net by transitioning the role of primary caregiver from the parent to a professional system. By providing stable, sensory-friendly environments with onsite assistance, these models relieve parents of the grueling physical and emotional labor of daily care, allowing them to focus on their own health and return to a traditional parental role.
Without an expansion of these services in BC, thousands of aging families remain one medical emergency away from a crisis where both the senior and the neurodivergent adult could face sudden displacement or homelessness.
“Housing affordability continued to be a challenge for people CLBC supports due to the rising cost of living. This resulted in an increased number of people CLBC supports, including those living with complex needs, continuing to live with aging parents, or in settings that were not their preferred option.”
— Community Living BC, 2024/25 Annual Service Plan Report
Community Living BC now has 29,271 open files province-wide and is growing by 4.5% a year — a rate it describes as “well in excess of general population growth.” In 2024/25, only 91% of people with the most urgent needs received service within six months, short of the 95% target.
Standing in the Gap: A Mission of Faith and Advocacy
The Charis Supportive Housing Society seeks to stand in the gap as a dedicated group of citizens who, motivated by their shared faith in Christ, are committed to advocating for those who cannot speak for themselves. Recognizing the immense burden carried by aging parents, the Society views its work not as a political endeavor, but as a practical expression of "bearing one another's burdens." They act as a unifying voice and a strategic organizer, working to bridge the disconnect between the dire needs of neurodivergent adults and the complex systems of housing and support in BC. By organizing these projects and championing the creation of permanent, stable homes, Charis seeks to ensure that these individuals are seen, valued, and cared for within a supportive community. Their advocacy provides a pathway for a "planned transition," offering aging parents the spiritual and emotional peace of knowing their children are secure in a community that reflects the dignity and worth of every person.
Access Gap
69% of Vanderhoof homes were built before 1991 — many with stairs and narrow doorways that rule out mobility aids.
Caregiver Stress
Aging parents ask, “What happens when I can't do this anymore?”
