VIRTUAL Manchester Livable Cities

Abstract

Canadian governments at every level – national and local – are responding to a housing crisis with policies to quickly increase supply. While data and public sentiment agree on the goal of building more housing, there is significant conflict on where to build. In Calgary, Alberta, the issue of blanket rezoning to increase density has led to the longest and largest public hearings in the city’s history. The demographics on each side of the issue are fairly typical: homeowners vs renters, older people vs young. Both sides claim to champion affordability. Those who oppose blanket rezoning argue that new housing that does not conform to the single-family home model unacceptably changes the nature of their neighborhoods and is expensive. Those in favour of blanket rezoning argue that adding more supply, even if new housing is more expensive, will make older homes more affordable. Both fail to account for the needs of the disability community, including older people who are ageing into disability. Canadian building codes, like in most countries, have exempted single-family homes from any accessibility requirements. This means that if neighbourhoods do not incorporate new and dense forms of housing, they will remain inaccessible, which is likely a hardship for those who wish to age in place. And if new, expensive housing takes pressure off the market for older homes, the affordability of these older homes will only benefit people without disabilities. In order to understand the interaction of affordability and accessibility in all neighbourhoods, municipalities will need to hear from the disability community directly and address the inaccessibility of single family housing. This approach could help meet the needs of those ageing into disability who wish to stay in their communities for the long-term. It could also serve the needs of those seeking affordable housing, including younger people with disabilities who currently experience significant unmet housing needs.