Housing co-op offers new take on retirement living for Winnipeg women

One Winnipeg woman is spearheading an initiative to reinvent seniors' housing for aging Manitobans.

Beverly Suek, 69, is the founder of the Women's Housing Initiative Manitoba (WHIM), a housing co-op that offers shared housing for women who are retired, or are nearing retirement.

Currently, there are three women in the seven-bedroom house ranging in age from 55 to 69, and they're looking for two more housemates. The women take turns with chores around the house, including cooking and cleaning.

"It's women living together to not just share expenses, but to share stories, and to be there for each other. So it's a supportive environment. That's what we're trying to do," Suek said.

Suek said she was inspired to start WHIM when she was working on political campaigns, going door-to-door, seeing many women living in homes by themselves.

"I thought, 'Why do people have to be lonely?' I mean why can't we just create environments where people can share their lives together?" she said.

Suek said her intention is to help women in need that might be living with no pension or have no significant form of income. She was also interested in starting it so that she wouldn't need to live alone herself.

"It's really nice to come home and somebody is interested in what you did today. You can talk about it and exchange ideas and ask questions. I just find it really invigorating," she told CBC's Information Radio.

Suek is still looking for two women to join the collective, if you're interested, contact beverlysuek@shaw.ca.