Business View Magazine - September 2015

108 Business View - September 2015 Business View - September 2015 109 The Estates offers one, two, and three bedroom apart- ments for seniors, 55 and older, as well as for adults 21 years and up, who are living with a disability; 69 of its 130 barrier-free suites are wheelchair accessible; 90 percent of its tenants are elderly, while the other 10 percent are younger, adult individuals living with a physical or mental health-related disability. According to Devlin, “the building’s long wait list is due to the Lions Club’s long and distinguished reputation serving the community, its strong management, the well-main- tained and aesthetically pleasing building, our quality, value-added services, and the fact that rents remain affordable. “Given the lengthy wait list, increasingly driven by an aging demographic, the Board began to explore the possibility of building a new apartment block equipped with the capacity to provide a variety of additional ser- vices.” Devlin adds that, “beyond the growing demand for additional housing, the Board and management also recognized the importance and benefit of sustain- ing tenancy as both a good business practice and a way to maintain and enhance tenants’ quality of life. Tenants build relationships, amongst their cohort, and to their community, and sustaining those connections preserves health and well-being.” Riverside Lions Providing housing, security, and hope for seniors Riverside Lions Estates and Riverside Lions Senior Residences are affordable, seniors housing facilities in the St. Vital area of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Both buildings were founded by the Riverside Lions Club, a 67-year member of Lions Club International, the world’s largest service organization, with more than 1.3 million members participating in 45,000 clubs, in over 200 countries. Laura Devlin, is Riverside Lions’ Executive Director. She recounts how the two housing projects came into being: “The Riverside Lions Club incorporated in 1948, and from the start, the Club did a lot of work in the community, especially in regard to supporting schools, children, and families. And that continues till today. In the early 1980s, they began the process of planning and building a quality, affordable, barrier-free residence for both adult persons living with a disability and persons over 55 years of age. It became the first apartment building of its kind in Canada designed to provide adults living with a disability, incorporating a quality housing design and highly-affordable rents. In- corporated in 1982, and opening in 1984, Riverside Lions Estates very quickly filled all 130 apartments, and our waitlist built to a six-year wait, where it has es- sentially remained ever since.” AT A GLANCE WHO: Riverside Lions WHAT: Retirement and supportive housing facilities WHERE: Winnipeg, Manitoba WEBSITE : www.riversidelions.mb.ca Healthcare Healthcare