Aging in Place: Adapting Your Home and the Programs That Help Pay for It

If you want to stay in your own home as you get older, the right changes can make it safer and easier to live in. This guide is for older homeowners in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, and the families helping them: which adaptations help most, how to get an assessment, the programs and tax credits that help pay, and what to weigh if adapting isn't enough.

The short version

Start with an assessment

An occupational therapist (OT) looks at how a person moves through the home and which daily tasks are hard, then recommends changes and equipment; a physical therapist (PT) can also help.

• Through your health authority. Fraser Health's home and community care access line is 1-855-412-2121; Vancouver Coastal Health's local lines include 604-263-7377 in Vancouver, 604-675-3644 in Richmond and 604-983-6700 on the North Shore.
• Privately. BC Housing pays back up to $300 for a private assessment, even if you don't qualify for its rebate or don't go ahead with any work.
• Plan ahead. The federal age-in-place checklist asks whether your home will support your mobility and health needs over the next 10 to 15 years.

Changes that help most

Many useful changes are small. CMHC's list of low- and no-cost modifications includes extra lamps and night lights, clear paths, secured or removed area rugs, a raised toilet seat, a bath seat and grab bars in the tub. Bigger projects, room by room:

• Entrances. A ramp, wider doors and walkways, and lever door handles.
• Bathroom. Grab bars, a handheld showerhead, a tub converted to a walk-in or wheel-in shower, a raised toilet and non-slip flooring.
• Stairs. Solid handrails on both sides and night lights, as the federal checklist suggests, or a stair lift. Technical Safety BC notes that lifts in private homes aren't regulated by any provincial or municipal authority, so get at least three estimates, check that the contractor is licensed and in good standing, and ask for compliance certificates.
• Kitchen and laundry. Counters at an accessible height, switches and outlets moved within reach, and a relocated washer and dryer.

If stairs are the main problem, a main-floor bedroom and bathroom can keep a two-storey house workable for longer. If your home is less than 10 years old, BC Housing suggests checking with your warranty provider first; see how 2-5-10 home warranty coverage works.

BC Housing's rebate for home adaptations

The BC Rebate for Accessible Home Adaptations (BC RAHA) offers low- and moderate-income households, including seniors and people with disabilities, up to $20,000 in rebates, a lifetime maximum per household. Homeowners can apply, as can tenants jointly with their landlord.

• Who qualifies. Someone in the household has a disability or a lasting loss of ability, the home is the main residence of the owner and that person, and household income, assets (not counting home equity) and the home's assessed value are under the program's limits.
• What it pays. The actual cost or the item's maximum, whichever is less, including materials, labour, taxes and permits: for example, up to $275 per grab bar, $6,000 for an exterior ramp, $9,100 to convert a tub to a walk-in shower and $10,000 for a straight stair lift.
• Approval first. Work done before written approval isn't eligible, apart from some emergency adaptations needed before a hospital discharge. You then have 180 days to finish, and if you do the work yourself, only materials are covered.
• Timing. Applications are handled first come, first served, until the year's funding runs out; intake renews each April 1.

Tax credits for accessibility work

• Home Accessibility Tax Credit. A federal non-refundable credit, which reduces tax you owe, on up to $20,000 of eligible expenses a year for the home. It's for someone 65 or older at the end of the year, or eligible for the disability tax credit, in a home they or an eligible family member owns. The work must be permanent and help them get into, move around or function in the home, or reduce their risk of harm. At the lowest federal rate, 14% from 2026, it's worth up to $2,800.
• BC seniors' home renovation tax credit. A refundable credit, paid even if you owe no tax: 10% of up to $10,000 of eligible renovations a year, or up to $1,000, for BC residents who are 65 or older or have a disability, and family members living with them, on the home they mainly live in. You claim it on form BC479.
• Multigenerational Home Renovation Tax Credit. A refundable federal credit for creating a self-contained secondary unit, with its own entrance, kitchen, bathroom and sleeping area, so a relative who is 65 or older, or an adult eligible for the disability tax credit, can live with family. It covers up to $50,000 of costs at the lowest federal rate, up to $7,000 for work finished in 2026, once per qualifying person's lifetime, and both must live there, or expect to, within 12 months after the work ends; see buying a home with a suite.

None of these credits covers routine repairs, appliances or housekeeping. Keep invoices and proof of payment, and ask an accountant how the claims fit together.

Strata owners: approval and accommodation

Under the standard bylaws in BC's Strata Property Act, you need the strata's written approval before changing the building's structure or exterior, exterior doors and windows, or common property, including limited common property. For those changes to your strata lot, the strata must not unreasonably withhold approval, but it can make you responsible, in writing, for related costs. See Renovating a Condo for the process.

BC's Human Rights Code also applies. The BC Human Rights Tribunal says a strata has a duty to accommodate a resident's disability unless it can prove undue hardship with evidence, and high cost alone isn't enough. Tell the strata what you need, and take part in finding a solution.

Using your home to pay for it

• Property tax deferment. BC's regular program lets homeowners 55 or older, surviving spouses and people with disabilities defer property tax on their principal residence if they keep at least 25% equity, based on assessed value. It's a loan, with a lien on the property; interest compounds on taxes deferred for 2026 and later, and you repay in full when you sell or refinance. See the home owner grant and property tax deferment.
• A reverse mortgage. FCAC says these are usually for people 55 or older and can provide up to 55% of your home's value, with no regular payments until you sell, move out or the last borrower dies. Rates are generally higher than on a regular mortgage, and the balance grows; see Reverse Mortgages and Home Equity.
• A home equity line of credit. You can borrow against your equity as you need it, but you must qualify, including a stress test at a bank, and make at least the minimum payment.

When adapting isn't enough

Sometimes the house itself is the problem: stairs at every entrance, a bathroom that can't be widened, or upkeep you can no longer manage. The federal checklist asks whether you could pay for help with cleaning and yard work and, if getting around becomes hard, whether you would be willing to move. A single-level home or an apartment with an elevator, near shops and transit, may suit you better; I walk through the steps in Downsizing in the Tri-Cities.

For help at home, Fraser Health, for example, assesses for home support, assisted living and long-term care, and Better at Home, funded by the province and managed by United Way British Columbia, supports the non-medical needs of older adults through local programs.

Questions homeowners often ask me

Do I need an occupational therapist before I renovate?

Not always, but it helps you choose the right changes. BC Housing's rebate requires one from an OT, PT or medical professional for items such as ramps and tub-to-shower conversions, and pays back up to $300 for a private one.

Can I apply for BC Housing's rebate after the work is done?

Generally no. BC Housing doesn't pay for adaptations finished before its written approval, except some emergency changes needed before a hospital discharge. Apply first, then complete the approved work within 180 days.

Who can claim the Home Accessibility Tax Credit?

The work has to be for someone 65 or older at the end of the year, or eligible for the disability tax credit. That person, their spouse or common-law partner, or certain relatives can make the claim.

Can I claim the multigenerational and accessibility credits for the same costs?

No. CRA says costs claimed as medical or home accessibility expenses aren't eligible for the multigenerational credit, and from 2026, one expense can't count as both a medical and a home accessibility expense. An accountant can help you decide which claim is worth more.

Does a stair lift need a permit?

Often. Technical Safety BC says that apart from the simplest stair lift installations you will likely need a building permit, and wiring changes need an electrical permit. Check with your municipality first.

Planning with family? Read about co-buying a home with family or friends or BC's rules for more homes on one lot.

This article is general information, not tax, legal or financial advice. The details come from BC Housing, the Canada Revenue Agency, Finance Canada, the Government of British Columbia, CMHC, Technical Safety BC, the BC Human Rights Tribunal, FCAC and the health authorities, and were current at the time of writing; program limits and funding can change, so confirm before you start work. For BC Housing's program page, see BC Rebate for Accessible Home Adaptations.