Tuesday February 17, 2026 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
“This is not a seniors budget,” says BC Seniors Advocate Dan Levitt after BC Budget 2026 was released.
“It doesn’t help seniors in a time when we should be investing in seniors and seniors care,” Levitt told media today.
Today Levitt reviewed a number of requirements for aging British Columbians, in an interview with Island Social Trends.
Long-term care:
The construction and completion of long-term care spaces has fallen behind, says Levitt, detailing that 600 have been built per year instead of the 2,000 that are needed as BC’s population continues to see a higher proportion of seniors and elderly. The province’s own prediction is a need for 16,000 beds in 10 years.
The investment in staffing of long-term care is also a priority, the seniors advocate says.
Long-term care is supportive of a large proportion of people who have dementia, as was detailed by Adrian Dix when he was health minister a few years ago.
A few previously-announced long-term care facilities (including a large one in Colwood) have fallen behind schedule as the government works with the developers on design standards and suitability for a livable less-clinical experience of living in long-term care — “less institutional and they should feel like a home”.
However, Levitt feels the efficiency and design reviews will be worth it in the long run. “We have needed provincial guidelines for the design of long-term care for a long time,” said Levitt today.
The waitlist management of long term care spaces needs to be more transparent, Levitt told Island Social Trends today.
“We need to make the investment now,” said Levitt about building long-term care spaces, as about 25% of British Columbians are already over age 65.
Quiet challenges:
Regarding long-term care need, there is a quiet but desperate phenomenon of seniors who can’t find a long-term care space ending up in hospital, displacing the bed space for people who need acute care.
If health-challenged elderly are no longer able to drive they may end up using costly ambulance services to get to medical care.
If working-age adults are taking time off work to care for elderly family members that has an impact on family income as well as the tax base of the economy.
Aging in place:
Aging in place is suitable for people who are in active health, but that will require more housing that is right-designed, right-sized and affordable for the older population.
“In a decade from now there will be 400,000 additional seniors in this province when one in four of us will be over 65. We should be investing now in seniors care,” said Levitt today.
Levitt says that the Ministry of Municipal Affairs should be working with municipalities to ensure that their development (rollout) of housing aimed at livability for aging-in-place seniors includes a requirement of developers to include a range of housing types that are smaller, one-level, and otherwise suited to older people.
Levitt notes that it doesn’t always need to be brand new construction, but that existing multi-family buildings can be adapted to become their own mini communities of seniors who are actively aging in place.
About 14,000 people are on an affordable housing wait list, says Levitt.
A new long-term care model developed in Vancouver Coastal Health is a good direction for a balance between long-term care and aging in place; two pilot projects are underway that would provide a few technology supports and some overnight care.
Home Support Co-Payment:
Home support services are direct care services provided by community health workers to clients who require personal assistance with activities of daily living, such as:
- mobility;
- nutrition;
- lifts and transfers;
- bathing and dressing;
- cueing (providing prompts to assist with the completion of tasks); and
- grooming and toileting.
Levitt says many seniors cannot afford these services, noting that a quarter of seniors are living on $2,000 per month, and about 50% of seniors are living on just over $3,000 per month.
AS the BC Seniors Advocate since early 2024, he has been advocating for eliminating the co-payment, as did his predecessor (the first BC Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie), so the request has been out there for a number of years.
Home care costs are covered in some other provinces. In BC that would — if covered for seniors — provide 3.36 hours of care from professional staff.
Presently, BC seniors are not required to pay a daily rate for home support services if they receive one of the following government income benefits:
- the Guaranteed Income Supplement, the Spouse’s Allowance or the Widowed Spouse’s Allowance under the Old Age Security Act (Canada).
- support and/or shelter allowance under the Employment and Assistance Act or the Employment and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Act.
- a War Veterans Allowance under the War Veteran’s Allowance Act (Canada).
Property tax deferment program:
The longstanding popular property tax deferral program for seniors will now be more expensive, as the Province today announced that what was an option at an interest rate of 2% below prime will now be available at 2% above prime.
That was not done to make it harder for seniors, said Finance Minister Brenda Bailey but so that people abusing that program (taking the deferred funds and putting them into high-interest investment vehicles) would be deterred from doing so.
Cross-ministry:
A seniors plan and a one-stop-shop for seniors is needed, says Levitt.
That’s so seniors can get the care and supports that they need so that “it’s easier for seniors to navigate their aging journey”.
There is no plan so far, but Levitt says the Ministry of Health is support of this idea.
SAFER is under-utilized:
The Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters (SAFER) program got a funding boost last year but it remains under-promoted, as there is still room for more low- and moderate-income seniors to have their rent subsidized.
Shingles vaccine:
Levitt continues to push for a singles vaccine to be available to seniors at no cost in BC.
===== RELATED:
- Finance Minister: serious disciplined BC Budget 2026 will protect core services (February 15, 2026)
- Ageism awareness in BC on this Thanksgiving weekend (October 12, 2025)
- BC Seniors Advocate awaits long-term care action plan (October 2, 2025)
- BC Seniors Advocate: allocate capital investments for both long-term care & seniors-friendly housing (July 29, 2025)
- NEWS SECTIONS: BUDGET 2026 | SENIORS