This text is part of the special booklet For a housing reform
Aging of the population, reduction in the size of families, increase in immigration, mobility needs… The need to adapt the supply of changes in households between now and 2041 is one of the concerns of the Metropolitan Community of Montreal (CMM). Overview.
“As much as before, we had an average household which was rather homogeneous, today we find ourselves with a lot of diversity”, observes Sébastien Lord, associate professor at the School of Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture of the UdeM and director of the Ivanoé Cambridge Observatory of urban and real estate development.
According to Portrait of housing in Greater Montreal published last May by the CMM, the Quebec Statistical Institute (ISQ) predicts an increase in the number of households of approximately 243,000 by 2041 (for a total of 1,968,000 households), and 65% of this growth will be seen among those aged 75 and over. The pandemic has complicated their plan to sell their house to establish themselves as a residence for the elderly, explains Mr. Lord. “While the youngest have accelerated their project [d’acheter une propriété]in the elderly, we put the projects on hold, ”he said.
He also observes a trend towards smaller dwellings in urban areas, due to higher prices. “For a family, it becomes difficult to find accommodation at a reasonable price in the city,” he says.
But these households will find their account in the coming years, with more seniors leaving their single-family residence in the suburbs, believes for his part Philippe Rivet, team leader at the CMM and head of the Grand Observatory. Montreal. “It will have the effect of gradually releasing single-family homes on the resale market,” he predicts.
Still a lot to do
According to Sébastien Lord, there is “a lot to do” in terms of housing. “There’s not a lot of diversity,” he says. If the housing offer must take into account the particular needs in terms of mobility, the solutions must be thought out according to Greater Montreal, believes the professor. He gives as an example a household where one member would have a job in Longueuil, while another would work further afield. “We have to give ourselves the means to make regulations consistent with people’s living environments,” he says. It doesn’t just go through the housing itself, but also through the environment in which the housing is inserted. »
Hence the importance of varying the modes of occupation and thinking about mixed formulas, in particular by mixing generations, but also residences and businesses, adds the professor. Urban intensification must also promote the creation and revitalization of complete neighborhoods, believes Mr. Lord. “In the suburbs, residential complexes or very high density neighborhoods are being built today, but very far from all services. We do not improve the image or the perception of density if we have all the disadvantages without the advantages”, he underlines.
Philippe Rivet, meanwhile, believes that the construction of social and community housing remains the priority. “Almost 200,000 low-income tenant households have difficulty finding housing,” he recalls.
Innovate in the future
It will be necessary “to be original” and to look into other currently under-exploited solutions, believes Mr. Rivest. According to him, urban densification requires the creation of by-laws governing accessory residential buildings, such as tiny houses in backyards.
“Over the next few years, we will really have to focus on regulations that allow owners of single-family homes to add a dwelling at the back of their yard or close to a building to make multigenerational housing. There are not yet many municipalities that allow it,” he observes.
Mr. Lord agrees. “These are options that we have known for years, but which are struggling to impose themselves. Although not a large percentage of people are interested in these options, they are often not available,” he reveals.
The two experts also believe that municipalities and governments should offer incentives to owners and developers to encourage the creation of this type of housing. “You have to ask yourself what you can give to the market so that it produces something that it can’t do naturally. Namely large units, units that can be occupied by more than one generation, or two independent units in one building,” says Lord.
For its part, the CMM wishes to obtain specific targets concerning the construction of social and community housing for all of Greater Montreal, in particular to accommodate the growing number of immigrants. “Having a sufficient supply of quality and affordable rental housing is essential for the successful integration of these new populations. These households often have limited financial resources. This confirms the great importance of accelerating the construction of social and community housing in the region. »
65% This is the proportion of household growth that will be seen among people aged 75 and over by 2041.
“We have to give ourselves the means to make regulations consistent with people’s living environments. It doesn’t just go through the housing itself, but also through the environment in which the housing is inserted. »