A first-ever report on the state of seniors' rental housing in Alberta shows tenants in Calgary are paying the highest rents in the province.

The report from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. shows that the average rent for seniors living in "standard spaces" in Calgary is $2,679 per month.

A standard space is defined as that occupied by a resident who receives a standard level of care of less than 1.5 hours per day.

In contrast to Calgary, seniors in Edmonton are paying an average of $2,091 monthly for the same level of care.

"The difference between the two cities is that Edmonton has more not-for-profit organizations like Good Samaritans with their own facilities," says Gail Hinchliffe, president of United Active Living Inc. The company operates a private ownership seniors' facility in the southwest neighbourhood of Garrison Green.

In terms of rent, it has to be remembered that the rents being paid are all-inclusive -- covering meals, accommodation, transportation, exercise facilities, programs and some health services, says Hinchliffe.

"For those who can't afford the $2,679, the provincial government has a subsidy program," she says.

The CMHC estimates there were 176,900 people aged 75 or older living in Alberta at the time the survey was taken.

Of that total, nearly 9,100 were living in rental facilities, indicating that slightly more than five per cent of that age group were in seniors' rental housing.

The vacancy rate in seniors' residences in the Calgary area was 5.3 per cent. In Edmonton, it was 5.4 per cent.

"With seniors' housing, 95 per cent occupancy is considered stabilized, therefore a five-per-cent vacancy rate is pretty much the norm," says Hinchliffe.