Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) recently launched a new series of housing reports to provide a clearer picture of seniors" housing markets across Canada, and in every province and major city in the country. The Seniors" Housing Reports surveyed 2,464 seniors" residences nationwide to provide a detailed description and analysis of such topics as overall vacancy rates, the types of housing available and the average rents charged. The results reveal differences from one region of the country to another.

"The demand for seniors" housing is expected to increase as the baby boom generation ages," said Bob Dugan, Chief Economist for CMHC. "The anticipation of this increase has spurred the construction of new spaces of seniors" housing ahead of actual demand. This, in turn, has led to a much higher average vacancy rate for seniors" residences than the vacancy rate for other forms of rental housing in nearly every part of the country."

The survey targeted private or non-profit residences where the majority of residents are 65 years of age or older and have access to additional services not offered in traditional rental structures. Examples of such services include meal service, housekeeping and laundry.

Among other findings, the reports revealed that:

- Some 176,845 seniors lived in the 2,464 residences surveyed. Close to 81.9 per cent of these seniors lived alone.

- The average vacancy rate for standard spaces in seniors" housing residences in early 2009 was 9.2 per cent. Vacancy rates were highest in Newfoundland and Labrador (at 18.9 per cent) and lowest in Saskatchewan (3.4 per cent).

- Average rents for seniors" residences varied considerably across the country. The average rent for bachelor/private units where meals are included was $1,774 per month. Average rents ranged from a high of $2,519 per month in Ontario to a low of $1,271 in Quebec. Differences in average rents reflect, in part, the varying prevalence of services and amenities in each province. In every province, the average monthly rent in seniors" residences exceeded those of the traditional rental market.

- The vacancy rate for "non-standard" housing, such as housing where residents receive heavy care, was just 5.6 per cent " significantly lower than the national rate for standard spaces.

- Residents who receive heavy care with their housing paid significantly higher rents than other residents in standard spaces. The highest rents for this form of housing were in British Columbia, where the average was $4,718 per month, while the lowest was in Quebec, at $2,563.

In Atlantic Canada, the average vacancy rate for standard spaces in seniors" housing was slightly higher than the national average, at 10.2 per cent. This included vacancy rates of 6.4 per cent in New Brunswick, 7.3 per cent in Nova Scotia, 9.3 per cent in Prince Edward Island and 18.9 per cent in Newfoundland and Labrador. In general, the vacancy rates were below or well below the overall provincial and regional averages in major urban centres such as Moncton, Halifax, Charlottetown and St. John"s. In terms of space types, ward and semi-private rooms were the least in demand with an overall vacancy rate of 29.1 per cent, while bachelor and one-bedroom spaces saw above average demand, with vacancy rates of 5.3 and 7.5 per cent respectively. The average rent for a standard space was $2,064 per month. Spaces in the highest rent ranges ($2,500 per month or more) tended to have the lowest vacancy rates at 3.9 per cent.

In Quebec, the average vacancy rate for standard spaces in seniors" housing was lower than the national average, at 7.9 per cent. Gatineau had the highest vacancy rate in the province at 17.2 per cent for all space types, followed by Sherbrooke at 9.7 per cent. In Montreal, the vacancy rate was similar to those prevailing at the provincial level, at 8.0 per cent. Room-and- board made up close to 40 per cent of all standard seniors" residence spaces in Quebec. The average rent for either room and board or apartments surpassed $1,100 per month. Quebec also had the highest proportion of seniors living in seniors" residences included in the survey. The percentage of seniors aged 75 years or older in Quebec who live in a residence covered in the survey was 17.3 per cent " more than twice the national average of 8.2 per cent.

In Ontario, the average vacancy rate for total spaces in seniors" residences was 13.2 per cent, above the national average. Southwest Ontario had the highest vacancy rate at 16.7%, followed by Central Ontario at 13.6%. Private/studio-style spaces were the dominant space type, accounting for two thirds of all standard spaces. The average monthly rent for these spaces was $2,520. One- and two-bedroom spaces continued to gain in popularity, however, accounting for 25 per cent of all standard rooms in early 2009. The supply of seniors" housing will continue to expand briskly in Ontario, with more than 6,000 new home spaces under construction in the province in February 2009. The strongest growth is occurring in Northumberland, Muskoka, Frontenac, Ottawa, Toronto and the York Region.

In Manitoba, the overall average vacancy rate for standard rental spaces in seniors" housing was lower than the national average, at 7.8 per cent. This included average vacancy rates of 8.3 per cent in Winnipeg and 6.2 per cent for the rest of the province. The average rent in Manitoba for these spaces was $1,814 per month. The highest rents were for spaces with two or more bedrooms in the Winnipeg CMA at $2,274 per month, while the lowest average monthly rents were for bachelor spaces located outside of Winnipeg, at $975. The lowest vacancy rate (1.1 percent) was recorded outside of Winnipeg in spaces with at least two bedrooms.

In Saskatchewan, the average vacancy rate of 3.4 per cent for standard rental spaces in seniors" housing was the lowest in Canada, well below the national average. This included average vacancy rates of 2.7 per cent in Regina, 4.1 per cent in Saskatoon and 3.2 per cent for the rest of the province. Throughout the province, the highest average vacancy rates occurred in semi-private suites, at 24.1 per cent. The lowest vacancy rate was for one-bedroom suites, at 1.9 per cent. The average rent for standard rental spaces was $2,131 per month. The highest average rent for all space types combined was in Regina at $2,368 per month, while the average monthly rent in Saskatoon was below the provincial average, at $2,063. Spaces renting in the $1,000 to $1,499 monthly rent range experienced the highest average vacancy rate of 7.3 per cent.

In Alberta, the average vacancy rate for standard spaces in seniors" housing was below the national average, at 5.9 per cent. In general, average vacancy rates were slightly lower in the larger urban centres, including a vacancy rate of 5.4 per cent in Edmonton and 5.3 per cent in Calgary. The rest of the province experienced an average vacancy rate of 7.9 per cent. For the province as a whole, the vacancy rate was higher for spaces renting at $3,000 a month or more, recording an average vacancy rate of 10.4 per cent. The most common bedroom type in Alberta was one-bedrooms, representing 52 per cent of all standard spaces in the province. The average rent for standard spaces was $2,334 per month.

In British Columbia, the average vacancy rate for seniors" housing was lower than the national average, at 7.5 per cent. This included vacancy rates of 8.0 per cent for the Greater Vancouver/Fraser Valley area, 7.6 per cent for the Okanagan, 7.1 per cent for Vancouver Island and 4.6 per cent for the rest of the province. The highest vacancy rates in the province were for bachelor-style spaces, at 11.1 per cent. One-bedroom spaces are the primary space type in seniors" residences, accounting for more than half of all rental spaces in BC. In general, spaces with higher rents experienced the lowest vacancy rates, with spaces renting at or above $2,600 per month recording an average vacancy rate of 4.9 per cent. The average rent for standard spaces in BC was among the highest in the country, ranging from $1,811 per month in the Kootenay region to a high of $2,629 per month on Vancouver Island.