Seniors and social services

I think I offer a unique perspective in this mayoral race, in that I am a family man with four kids, and I have two sets of aging parents in this community. And the seniors, and I'm talking to a lot of my parents' friends, and seniors are on fixed incomes that are having trouble chasing this runaway tax increases. And that's something that we need to really think about and honor our seniors. And they've built Langley, they've invested their lives in Langley, and it's important that we are respecting them in the decisions we are making. There's community centers, there's facilities right now where we can dedicate space for the community, for seniors to come and have community and gather and create community within those groups right now. We have to look at a rideshare program where seniors aren't left stranded in times of need. Snow, heat, things where we're respecting them. But we need to do it by making sure that they aren't footing a bill for everything else that they can't do on a fixed income. I've talked to many seniors that are making decisions whether they can stay here or not, whether they can stay in their homes because of the rising costs. They're getting pinched as we are as families from every angle. And we need to be able to provide them with these opportunities to create community without always just promising a grandiose new space and a new center here and a new center there. There is a limit to what we can spend. And we have to make sure that we're addressing the needs now. Obviously, we would love to provide those things for them in the future. But they have to make sense. We have to follow a budget, we have to follow a plan, we have to report back to the residents and make sure it makes sense.

I think the best way to support local seniors is to construct the township's first ever senior center, which is not in their platform, while labeling it respect for seniors. Again, the biggest way we can support seniors is to build the township of Langley's first dedicated senior centers as part of the Willoughby Aquatic and Community Center facility that's needed for 100,000 plus people. We cannot go to 80,000 when we draw plans on a page. We need to get to get going on that project. We've been doing two years of public consultation. And it was so great and valuable to work with the LSRS to add that component to that plan through public consultation, through listening, right? And having respect for seniors by building facilities that seniors need in the township, not buzzwords on a page. and I think that that's really important to us. And that's, again, part of our top priority is to get that done within the amenity program, growth, paying for growth for those roads, parks, and facilities. And the key facility the seniors need is that one. And it's really important that we continue this program and finish it, not stall it for another dark decade. And it's really important to me, because I've talked to so many seniors that are traveling to Langley City, right? They're traveling to Langley City to meet and gather at a senior center. And it's not good enough to me that we just scrap that plan or say we're going to talk about it for another five to seven years and not vote to collect community amenity contributions from development to pay for it for seniors. To me, that is what we need to continue to do, continue the program to build infrastructure, roads, parks, and facilities for a community that is going to 250,000 people with an aging population that is growing in size, that needs facilities and these kinds of services, not buzzwords. Thank you.

Hi, my name is Margaret. I would focus on community connection and accessibility. Sometimes relatively small investments, a safe crossing, a bench, an accessible pathway, or better connection to transit, or even a ride to a community center can make a huge difference to a senior who is struggling with accessibility or loneliness. I recently attended a seniors fair at the Langley Seniors Resource Society actually yesterday. It was amazing to see the amount of resources for seniors, from meals and home support to travel and help with downsizing. But what occurred to me was how many seniors couldn't make it there because they didn't have access to transportation. I'd like the township to work together with community partners and stakeholders to test a pilot shuttle service for seniors in the township.

If I had to pick one improvement, it would be making sure seniors have places to connect close to home. Isolation become a real issue, particularly for seniors who no longer drive or have difficulty getting around. I'd like to see us make better use of the recreation and community facilities we already own, with dedicated senior spaces, programs, and opportunities to connect in each of our communities. And the practical things matter too. Snow clearing, keeping phone and paper options available as more services move online, and making sure we're looking out for seniors during extreme heat. For me, respecting seniors is about helping people remain independent, connected, and part of the community they helped to build.

One of the most important items for seniors in terms of health outcomes is aging in place. And so that is something that council actually has direct access to do is to alter bylaws in order to create more flexibility for seniors to age in place through whether it's secondary suites or accessory dwellings on properties that are near where they grew up and where they live, making that community connection stay.

Michele St. Germain, Progress for Langley. That's a great question and I love that question. Province, it comes down, it's just not about municipal, it's also about provincial and provincial, including federal government. Homeless requirements, we have the province involvement in housing, health, and social services. We have a role. We need to advocate to the province to get help because it takes more than just a municipal slate to do this. The potential tool, new Langley housing, so we have the housing trust, that could be a big benefit for that as well. Thank you.

Teresa Townsley with Langley Strong. I'm glad I got that question because I was a nurse who used to work in St. Paul's emergency room on the downtown east side. And I know that the township can't solve homelessness by itself because health care, income supports, and much of supportive housing sit with other levels of government. But we do control land use, permitting, and local partnerships and public spaces. So I'd prioritize getting the township, Fraser Health, BC Housing, and outreach providers, as well as the city of Langley, around one table with clear responsibilities. Locally, I'd focus on faster approvals and appropriate supportive housing services, while prioritizing neighbourhood safety and accountability. Thank you.

Having worked in the Langley community for the last 25 years, specifically with the homeless community, one of the key things that I see is truly a need for adequate advocation. And as has already been mentioned with the provincial government for services, there are communities within BC that are receiving housing funds and resources with unhoused individuals at a lesser ratio than what you find in the township of Langley. And that's just not acceptable when you look at the density of the issue that we are living with. So that is a huge factor. Thank you.