SFU researchers look to maximize living space at single-family homes in partnership program | 24CA News
Simon Fraser University’s Renewable Cities program has created a partnership with a North Shore neighborhood society to attempt to deal with a few of B.C.’s housing wants.
The objective is to maximise dwelling house by way of residence sharing or renting out secondary suites, working in the direction of housing options that may profit each renters and householders.
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The partnership, between SFU Renewable Cities and Hollyburn Community Services Society, connects under-utilized single-family houses and their homeowners to renters in want.
“This is an opportunity to really deeply understand the constraints and challenges seniors have that are interested in having secondary suites or a possible home share which they’ve never done before,” mentioned Alex Boston, SFU Renewable Cities’ government director.
“We want to understand what those concerns and apprehensions may be.”
The Hollyburn Community Services Society works to search out these remoted seniors with single-family houses that could possibly be a part of this system.
“They’re isolated. They’re having difficulty with housework or yard work,” mentioned Leya Eguchi, a Hollyburn spokesperson. “(The program) could be really mutually beneficial.”
According to statistics discovered by SFU, virtually half of all B.C. housing is made up of single-detached houses with 18 per cent of these inhabited by one particular person.
Most of the single-house occupants are over the age of 60, researchers say.
If one in ten of these householders added a secondary suite that will create virtually 50,000 new housing models.
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It’s a dwelling scenario Bunny Brown discovered herself in for 11 years renting her upstairs unit to a good friend.
“We were both seniors and both still working. Over the years we retired and end up living together at the residence,” she advised Global News. “We were able to be there for each other.”
The program is one thing a B.C. housing skilled has been calling for for years.
“I have often thought that before we build more and more housing, we should make better use of the housing we already have,” mentioned Michael Gellar, retired Vancouver architect and planner. “I’m disappointed it’s taken so long to get attention in Vancouver.”
The housing options partnership will run into 2024, officers mentioned.
Researchers hope the partnership and program shall be adopted by the province to attempt to deal with inexpensive housing wants.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
