Seniors' Housing for Seniors

Résumé du livre

"There has been limited research on the preference and interest of seniors in converting the stock of housing which they own and occupy in order to create secondary suites of self-contained apartments, within existing single family homes. This pilot study attempts to fill the gap by exploring the interest of senior homeowners in renovating their current homes to include secondary suites; the financial and renovation implications of doing so; and the city regulations and zoning which affect conversion. The study was undertaken in two neighbourhoods of the City of Ottawa. It involved a telephone survey of 187 senior households, in-depth interviews with 17 households and two focus groups with specialists in the private and public sectors. Key findings of the survey were that: 19% of senior respondents showed an openness to multiple occupancy, including the creation of secondary suites; the size of homes in both neighbourhoods provided considerable scope for renovation due to size; basements were the preferred option for renovation and judged to have potential for occupancy. Interviews with a selected group of homeowners revealed that: respondents preferred bank loans or mortgages, not reverse mortgages, to finance renovations; women living alone expressed an interest in secondary suites to have companionship in the home; both neighbourhoods were judged by respondents to provide the conditions to age in place; most respondents would hire a contractor to undertake renovations; and a majority did not have any concern about renting to independent seniors. Findings from the focus group discussion with builders, renovators, real estate specialists and city staff included the following: by-laws were recently changed in order to permit secondary suites throughout the city; the full-cost of renovations was not necessarily reflected in the resale value of a house: costs could be kept down by renovating basements rather than upper floors; senior homeowners should be informed of the advantages of secondary suites; and seniors would benefit from having access to one-stop shopping services in matters related to financing, building, maintaining and managing secondary suites"--P.4.