A consulting firm studying future housing needs in Orangeville has concluded that there is need for more affordable homes and rental accommodation.

The study by SHS Consulting – requested by town council in 2009 and endorsed at the last public meeting – found that the current housing mix is not consistent with the range of needs and demographic trends in the community.

Among the findings was that existing housing options do not meet the needs of the aging population, particularly for those with lower incomes, and that the supply of affordable rental housing insufficient to meet the needs of low and moderate income households.

A large portion of the SHS findings was geared toward the seniors demographics, something James Stiver, town planning director, does not find surprising. A stronger emphasis on seniors’ housing needs, he indicated in an interview Tuesday, coincides with the baby boom generation approaching retirement.

“It’s not unique to Orangeville,” Mr. Stiver said. “It’s happening across North America. There will be more people at the older end of the spectrum than at any time in history.

“What we’re seeing here in Orangeville nothing different.”

What, perhaps, differentiates Orangeville from other municipalities is that census figures determine that its population is, on average, younger than most other municipalities. On the other hand, its senior population is growing faster than most because more people in that demographic are seeing this town as a desirable place to live and are making plans to move here.

He explained that future residential development in the town will be driven mainly by market forces. Essentially, developers will build what people want to buy.

As well, provincial population-intensification policies – such as the Ontario Places to Grow plan – encourage more residential units being built on less land. “There will always be demand for larger, detached homes,” said Mr. Stiver, “but we see that the focus has been on them too much.

“The demand for them is beginning to disappear.”

He pointed to a trend among seniors who, while wishing to stay in their own homes, are choosing to part with larger houses and move into smaller ones that are easier maintain. As well, younger people buying their first house will need units they can afford.

Mr. Stiver said a municipality can play a role by altering its official plan accommodate the new housing trends, as well as offering incentives that don’t involve using town funds.

A total of 34 items have been included in a proposed town strategy. They include such things as the introduction of new Official Plan policies relating to seniors housing, financial incentives to encourage the construction of more affordable housing (both rental and owner-occupied), the establishment of accessibility guidelines, the setting of affordable housing targets, and grant opportunities for design and development standards for housing.

Recommendations to implement specific actions to achieve the goals and objectives of the seniors housing strategy will be presented to council in the coming months.

Over time, the aim of the town is that all seniors, regardless of income level or need, will be able to find suitable accommodation.