Ninety-three-year-old Dorothy was only 59 when her husband passed away, leaving her with no money for her own retirement. Rent was cheaper back then; she found an apartment that charged $189 a month and shared the one-bedroom suite with her mother until she too passed away. Dorothy also found a job at a Laura Secord chocolates store where she worked until she was 70. When she started receiving her Old Age Security Pension at age 65, she put that money into a Registered Retirement Savings Plan and lived off her earnings.

Dorothy has made some smart financial decisions to help make her older years more comfortable. One of those was applying for SAFER – Shelter Aid For Elderly Renters, a provincial government program that helps make rents affordable for B.C. seniors with low to moderate incomes. SAFER provides monthly cash payments for eligible seniors age 60 or over who pay rent for their homes.

“SAFER has definitely helped with my rent,” said Dorothy. “The extra cash each month means I can stay in my apartment where I’ve lived for 32 years. I can still manage by myself and it’s important for me to stay in this community.”