HOUSING FOR A WIDER FAMILY MODEL – NEXT GENERATION HOUSING
March 14th, 2017
Accessory Apartment or Multi-generational housing - Much of the “pro” side of this issue has revolved around affordable housing and increasing rental units, but the growth in multi-generational living is also emerging as a key factor behind this push.
The building industry is seeing a trend in multi-generational housing across Canada. For example, Ottawa recently changed zoning regulations for secondary suites and the CEO of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association of British Columbia told the Globe and Mail that multi-generational living is bound to become more common as the population ages and house prices skyrocket out of reach for first time Buyers. Some builders are now designing housing to be a better fit for extended families. In Edmonton several homebuilders are unveiling a new project where homes will be built with a fully developed, rentable/multi-generational secondary suite.
Secondary suites, when properly regulated and managed, can be a useful option for families looking to subsidize their income or share space with relatives. A concerted push towards urban densification and affordable rental units is part of the secondary suite issue, but the demand is further spurred by an aging and culturally diverse population looking for multi-generational housing options.
Not included in Statistics Canada’s definition of multi-generational households are those that consist solely of parents and their adult children, a two-generation living arrangement that has been steadily increasing for decades as youth have faced tough labour markets, increased student debt, rising life costs and now soaring housing prices.
The proportion of young adults aged 20 to 29 living in the parental home has increased from 27% in 1981 to 42% in 2011 and may trend higher after the 2016 Census Stats are released.
Multi-generational living can involve some tensions and challenges, but it can also benefit families, allowing for stronger intergenerational relations, diverse options for the management of family finances and household work. While it creates opportunities for care and support, multi-generational living is a complex, dynamic living arrangement that benefits from communication, respect and boundaries. Like all shifts and trends in living arrangements over time, it demonstrates how families adapt and react to their ever-changing circumstances, and respond to the social and economic climate.