Housing Solutions Lab

This project will foster relationships among older adults to reduce social isolation and support economic inclusion and well-being. In the short term, the project will empower older adults to maintain independence while developing new relationships that benefit well-being and mental health. For example, home sharing facilitates shared expenses, affordable housing, companionship, safety and security, self-determination and independence for older adults. Service delivery will be incorporated into the program structure. In addition, homesharing solutions will help address social isolation and loneliness for solo older adults.

Our sustainability goals are:

REDUCED PER CAPITA GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS ASSOCIATED WITH BUILDINGS

Single-detached homes are the most greenhouse gas intensive dwelling type; doubling occupancy of a one-person household would result in the reduction of building greenhouse gases per capita by almost half. Using under-utilized existing homes eases demand for new home construction and reduces urban sprawl – two major sources of greenhouse gas emissions.

REDUCED TRANSPORTATION COSTS AND CARBON EMISSIONS

Adding secondary suites or accessory dwelling units in mature single-family neighbourhoods has potential to cut transportation costs and carbon emissions, increasing walkability through proximity to key destinations and infrastructure. Many of these neighbourhoods face reducing population as residents age and move to other areas.

39% of senior homeowners with mortgages are in core housing need in B.C. Twenty percent of B.C. seniors spend 30% of income or more on housing.

The 2011 North Shore Seniors at Risk of Homelessness Assessment found that “fixed income seniors who have been long-time residents of the North Shore are increasingly at risk of losing their housing as they face rising real estate costs, increases in rent, property taxes and changes to the Residential Tenancy Act. The number of seniors experiencing core housing needs has been steadily increasing.”

The Housing Solutions Lab is exploring solutions such as how local non-profits can manage and support secondary suites or home sharing arrangements for older adults while also generating revenue for homeowners.

This project can immediately generate new affordable housing alternatives for older adults. In the medium-term, there is high potential for creating affordable housing units in Canada through good policy and program design. More than half of B.C.’s 830,000 single-detached homes—and 7.5 million across Canada—have only one or two occupants, many of those older adults and empty nesters. Adding a secondary suite or a home share to just 10% of homes could create 85,000 new housing units in B.C. and 750,000 in Canada, increasing housing stock and revenue streams for homeowners.

Older adult homelessness is rising due to lack of available and affordable housing. Innovative solutions to increasing inventory of affordable housing can reduce homelessness. For example, innovative new units on single-detached land parcels, wrap around services and mitigating home sharing issues.

Affordable housing supply is a major constraint on regional prosperity, with provincial and national implications. This project would contribute to regional housing supply, increasing discretionary income and supporting economic growth. Two older adults in a home sharing environment will reduce day to day living expenses, providing more money to spend in the community.

This project aims to build, strengthen and mobilize rich partnerships across the North Shore, Metro Vancouver and B.C. Scaling is a priority: the housing and demographic conditions that create this immense, untapped opportunity exist in many communities across B.C. and Canada, in cities, towns and rural areas.