WHA Housing for Seniors
The Whistler Employee Housing Programs support the housing needs of Whistler’s actively working seniors and retired Whistler workforce, including qualified retirees of Whistler who are over the age of 55.
The Whistler Housing Authority (WHA) recognizes the value of supporting Whistler's senior workforce members who have contributed to the success of building and maintaining Whistler's resort community. The WHA also acknowledges Whistler Mature Action Community's (MAC) vision of facilitating Whistler to be an inclusive, supportive community where residents can actively and comfortably age in place. We partner with MAC on opportunities for seniors within the WHA inventory.
The WHA’s Rental and Ownership programs are available to qualified senior employees and retirees of Whistler. This system provides a fair and consistent approach for all qualified employees and retired employees to be able to access rental and purchase opportunities within the program. Eligible active-working senior employees must be working a minimum of 30 hours a week for a Qualified Whistler Business. Retirees will have worked full-time for 10 of the last 12 working years before ceasing full time employment for a Whistler Business and have continued to reside in Whistler, Squamish, or Pemberton on a permanent basis. Consideration is given to semi-retired seniors over the age of 55 who meet the criteria of an eligible retiree who has transitioned from full-time work to part-time work in Whistler.
RENTAL PROGRAM
The WHA has an accessible apartment building with underground parking and in-suite laundry dedicated to eligible Whistler seniors and/or retirees.
The Lumina building is located at 8350 Bear Paw Trail in the Rainbow neighbourhood. Interested applicants for this building must be eligible waitlist applicants in the Employee Housing Rental Program. When a senior-specific rental opportunity is available it will be advertised to the entire rental waitlist then ranked based on age. Those eligible applicants over the age of 55 will get priority over non-senior rental waitlist applicants. If no senior and/or retiree shows interest in the rental unit the rental opportunity will transfer to the standard waitlist ranking based on application date to the program.
Qualified seniors and/or retirees also have the opportunity to rent any non-senior units ranked based on the date they applied to the program.
The Rental Program carries a Real Estate Restriction - if you own any residential Real Estate in British Columbia, you are not eligible for the Rental Program.
OWNERSHIP PROGRAM
The WHA has several senior-priority ownership units in the Ownership Program.
This includes all units in the Solana building (Rainbow neighbourhood), and select units in The Falls and The Rise (Cheakamus Crossing neighbourhood). Senior's Priority ownership housing ranges in both size and price.
When a specific senior-priority unit is available it is advertised for eligible applicants on the WHA Ownership Waitlist program to express interest. Senior applicants over the age of 55 who submit an intent to purchase will be ranked based on age (eldest having priority). If no senior and/or retiree shows interest in the ownership unit the opportunity will transfer to the standard waitlist ranking based on application date to the program.
Qualified seniors and/or retirees also have the opportunity to purchase non-senior units, where they will be ranked based on the date they applied to the program.
The Ownership Program has a Real Estate Restriction - generally owning Real Estate anywhere in the world makes you ineligible for the Employee Housing Ownership Program unless you have a property exemption.