General Questions and Answers
Rural Affordable Supportive Living Program
July 25, 2006
| 1. Is this a one-time funding initiative? | Yes. Provincial budget funds have been allocated to the Rural Affordable Supportive Living program to be spent in the 2006/2007 fiscal year. This is not an annual program. |
| 2. Why is the program limited to the development of projects outside of the municipal boundaries of the Cities of Edmonton and Calgary? | While there is a need for additional affordable supportive living capacity within the municipal boundaries of the cities of Edmonton and Calgary, the Rural Affordable Supportive Living program is intended by the government to address needs in rural and regional communities (outside of Edmonton and Calgary) where the private and non-profit sectors have been more reluctant to initiate new development. The government believes that immediate action and financial support is needed to generate greater momentum in the supportive living sector in rural and regional communities (outside of Edmonton and Calgary). |
| 3. Will proposals that immediately boarder Edmonton and Calgary (e.g., St. Albert, Airdrie) be accepted? | Yes. |
| 4. What are the timelines for submission of Detailed Project Proposals? | Fully
completed and signed detailed project proposals should be submitted to:
No later than 14:30 hours, October 13, 2006. Detailed project proposals will be screened for compliance to Rural Affordable Supportive Living program criteria in October 2006. |
| 5. Will time extensions be given to prepare Detailed Project Proposals? | All proponents are expected to follow the same submission guidelines. No extensions are anticipated. |
| 6. On what criteria will the detailed project proposals be evaluated? | Detailed
project proposals will be evaluated based on their compliance to program
criteria which are outlined in the Rural Affordable Supportive Living
program information web page.
The proposals will be scored and recommendations developed based on the merit of the individual proposals. Recommendations will be made to the Minister who will have the final approval. |
| 7. Will funding be distributed geographically or by population? | Consideration will be given to equitably distributing grant funding across the province. Individual grant proposals will be assessed and recommended based on the extent to which they comply with the Program's purpose and criteria. |
| 8. What is meant by "local continuing care service capacity"? | The Detailed project proposal criteria for the Rural Affordable Supportive Living program uses the term "local continuing care service capacity" to refer to the existing number of long-term care beds and supportive living spaces available to residents of a community. |
| 9. What is meant by "proposed projects must be…financial sustainability in the longer term"? | "Proposed projects must be…financial sustainability in the longer term" means that projects must demonstrate that they are capable of operating, both from a housing and services aspect, with the confirmed funding available from all sources. Funding from the government (e.g. Lodge Assistance Program) or health authority that has been applied for, but not confirmed, will not be included in the financial analysis that will be undertaken. |
| 10. What does "a person with high health and personal care needs" mean? | A person with high health and personal care needs is generally a person who can no longer live independently without daily assistance with some activities of daily living such as health monitoring and medications, as well as personal care activities such as dressing and bathing. |
| 11. Could surplus space within a health facility be converted to supportive living? | Yes. The conversion of surplus space within a health facility (or within any existing structure) may represent a cost-effective approach to developing affordable living spaces. Where the infrastructure is surplus to the needs of the regional health authority, the proponent and the regional health authority may jointly propose the transfer of ownership of the infrastructure, or may enter into a long-term capital lease arrangement. |
| 12. Why must a non-profit voluntary or private sector organization, local housing authority, foundation or community group own the proposed facility? | The private and voluntary sectors have historically been the providers of seniors housing in Alberta. The government has consistently stated its preference that development, ownership and ongoing operation of housing facilities and services remain the responsibility of the private and voluntary sectors as well as certain types of public sector organizations (e.g. management bodies). Regional health authorities have no legislative authority to own or operate housing facilities. The role of regional health authorities in the supportive living sector is generally limited to the funding or provision of health care services. |
| 13. Can a management body submit a proposal to build a Rural Affordable Supportive Living project addition onto a provincially-owned lodge, or convert a provincially-owned facility, or build on provincially- owned land as was done under the Seniors Supportive Housing Incentive Program (SSHIP) and the Healthy Aging Partnership Incentive (HAPI) program? | Yes. As was done with SSHIP and HAPI, the management body would be required to have signed Memorandum of Agreement with Alberta Seniors prior to the submission of the detailed project proposal. If you have any questions regarding this issue please contact your housing advisor. |
| 14. Can management bodies apply for Lodge Assistance Program grants? | If the facility is operated under the Alberta Housing Act by a management body, it could be eligible for Lodge Assistance Program (LAP) funding, provided there is sufficient budget available in the Ministry of Seniors and Community Supports. If the LAP funding has not been confirmed for the proposed development, it will not be considered in the analysis of the projects financial viability. |
| 15. Could a management body make a proposal for a project that is not operated under the Alberta Housing Act? | Yes. This has been done on a number of occasions. |
| 16. Can a proposed facility be on leased land? | A facility may be placed on leased land provided the lease is for a longer term than that outlined in the grant funding agreement between supportive living operator and the Province of Alberta (e.g. 20 years). |
| 17. Do all residents have to be persons who have been assessed through the coordinated access system? | No, however the target population for this program are persons with high health and personal needs. It is likely that the residents will be involved with the Regional Health Authority in some fashion (i.e., through Home Care or other support programs). |
| 18. What if the regional health authority will not provide assurances that it will allocate sufficient funds to provide health care services to the residents of the supportive living facility? | The project may receive fewer points during the evaluation process. Projects do not necessarily require a commitment of health authority funding (e.g. designated assisted living), but should be compatible with regional heath authority continuing care plans. |
| 19. Are mixed facilities (e.g. lodge, enhanced lodge and supportive living) eligible, where a portion of the facility does not meet the mandate of the program? | Mixed facilities will be considered. Only those elements of the proposal that meet the Rural Affordable Supportive Living Program criteria will be considered for funding. Funding and sustainability for the non-eligible portions of the project will have to be demonstrated in the Detailed Project Proposal. |
| 20. How can a supportive living facility address current inequities in the distribution of continuing care accommodation within the health region? | Communities
within regional health authorities vary considerably with regard to
whether residents have convenient access to continuing care programs and
services. Residents of some communities may need to move to another
community to access supportive living accommodation. One of the key
objectives of the Rural Affordable Supportive Living program is to respond
to needs in communities identified by the regional health authority as
having relatively higher needs for additional continuing care capacity.
Many regional health authority continuing care plans and capital plans identify communities where additional supportive living capacity is needed to support a shift from traditional long-term care facility placement. In several of these communities, the regional health authority has indicated that a proposed long-term care replacement facility could have a reduced bed capacity if appropriate supportive living accommodation was available in the community. |
| 21. How can a supportive living facility reduce waiting times for long-term care placement? | Some long-term care facilities may have residents that are fully capable of living in a supportive living environment. If these residents are moved to a supportive living setting, this allows those higher need residents on the waiting list to move into long-term care. |
| 22. What is meant by "providing residents of existing facilities with an improved standard of accommodation"? | A number of older senior's housing facilities in Alberta were not designed to accommodate persons with chronic health problems and associated higher care needs. The Rural Affordable Supportive Living program will make funds available to allow these types of facilities to be modernized so that they can provide a more appropriate, safer environment to care for persons with health and/or special care needs. |
| 23. Are private sector organizations eligible to apply for this program? | Yes. |
| 24. Are wholly owned subsidiaries of regional health authorities eligible to apply for this program? | Some
regional health authorities currently own and operate supportive living
facilities as an ancillary operation as defined in the Regional Health
Authorities Act and regulations. Ancillary operations require
ministerial approval and are subject to legislated funding and operational
restrictions and controls. No provincial capital funds have been provided
for the development of supportive living facilities currently operated by
regional health authorities.
Wholly owned subsidiaries of regional health authorities, such as Carewest and Capital Care Group may be eligible for program funding. The department will require a written explanation from the regional health authority indicating why a proposal from their wholly owned subsidiary should be considered. |
| 25. Can the funds be used for operating costs? | No. Funds may only be used for eligible capital costs. |
| 26. Can funding under this program be combined with other sources of funding? | Yes. |
| 27. How will funds be made available to successful proponents? | Funding will be in the form of a conditional grant. Prior to any grants being made available, organizations and the Province of Alberta will be required to sign a grant funding agreement. |
| 28. What conditions will be placed on the funds provided through this program? | A
grant funding agreement has been developed. The following are some, but
not all, of the conditions included in a grant funding agreement:
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