Modern Housing for Seniors

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ORANJESTAD – Adequate and modern housing is fundamental to a healthy, happy, and social old age. 

There is a significant shortage of this type of housing for seniors in Aruba. For this reason, the Government of Aruba has decided to make funds available for the construction of housing for our elderly.

A house is much more than just a few bricks stacked with a roof on top; a house must be a home. One cannot simply give seniors a house and let them live in isolation. Solitary life without proper attention is unhealthy for anyone. The social aspect must be an integral part of addressing modern housing.

The government will allocate a 20 million florin loan to the FCCA to build more social housing, of which at least 25% is for housing seniors. 

A home can be an instrument to fight isolation among our seniors. Modern housing makes a social environment possible. It is part of the Deltaplan, which emphasizes a social approach based on the notion that mental health is just as valuable as physical health. Although there has been significant success in the curative areas, the preventative areas now require greater focus. 

The FCCA is the trendsetter in Aruba in modern housing, and their projects show other investors that such projects are also feasible.

Housing was a key topic at the National Forum for Seniors in October 2023, where Gijsbert van Herk, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Staedion, which manages over 40,000 homes in The Hague and its surroundings, gave an extensive presentation on their specialization in senior housing. With the expertise and guidance of Staedion, the government does not need to reinvent the wheel but can choose the models that best fit our needs.

The housing issue for seniors entails five focus areas:

  • There is a group that wants to stay in their own home, and different ways are being worked on to strengthen and support caregiving (Mantelzorg);
  • There is a group in care homes, and various projects are underway to strengthen the services and ensure quality;
  • Some want to develop commercial projects, and here it is the ministry's task to stimulate and facilitate these;
  • For the group needing assistance at the level of care homes, an integral plan is being prepared to expand capacity;
  • There will be daycare facilities, such as the Pasadia project, which is expanding due to demand.

     

Modern housing FCCA for seniors.