Housing, health, and social inclusion of older people on low income in Prince George, BC.

Many older people with low incomes live in rental housing because they cannot afford to own a home. They often pay more for rental housing than they can afford. Older women and people with disabilities or chronic health conditions face additional difficulties in finding affordable rental housing. Older people with low incomes often have insufficient funds for food, transportation, and other necessities after they have paid their rent and utilities. Without transportation, they many become socially isolated. Incomes, housing, and social inclusion are all determinants of population health. For my thesis, I used ethnographic in-depth interviews and interviews with key informants to examine the impact of rental housing on the self-perceived health status, and social inclusion of older people living on low incomes in Prince George. Results show that incomes, housing, and social inclusion are inter-related. Low incomes were the primary cause of stress among participants. Low incomes, combined with rental housing costs, led to inadequate nutrition, lack of dental care, and potential social isolation. Participants felt their health was affected as a consequence.