Hamilton’s economic prosperity and ability to ensure enough social services for an aging population requires a substantial increase in family-friendly housing so that the next generation of workers can live in the city.
Based on data from the Canadian Housing Survey, housing availability is the primary driver of migration in the Hamilton area. The most common reason for people in Hamilton to move is to upgrade to a larger or better quality dwelling for existing homeowners.
To determine Hamilton’s competitiveness with other Canadian communities when it comes to attracting and retaining workers, the @SP_Inst examines four case studies in its latest report, "Who Will Swing the Hammer?" Meet Sabrina, Tony & Gabrielle, Matthew & Laura, and Sunny & Ali.
Sabrina: Looking for a one-bedroom apartment in downtown Hamilton. City of Hamilton and Burlington are attractive locations for high-skilled workers without children.
Tony & Gabrielle: Want to live in an average, single-detached. Even with good incomes, this mid-career family would be in core-housing need were they to buy today. Communities such as Calgary, Halifax, & Lndn would provide much lower housing costs and comparable or higher wages.
Matthew & Laura: Looking to buy a townhouse. This family would also get priced out of Metro Hamilton. They may move to a community like Brantford or London, or look for opportunities in Ottawa, Calgary, and Halifax - which would see their salaries go further.
Sunny & Ali: Looking to move out and buy a townhouse. Burlington and Hamilton remain good choices for this pair until they consider having children and moving into a more child-friendly unit.
Metro Hamilton remains an attainable & attractive location for younger workers w/o children, however, the same cannot be said for households w/ kids. Through these hypothetical examples, @MikePMoffatt of @SP_Inst demonstrates that they each face different relative housing costs.
Increasing the supply of family-friendly housing can help attract the Tonys, Gabrielles, Lauras, and Matthews that Hamilton needs to remain economically and socially vibrant. At a minimum, this will require the cities of Metro Hamilton to do three things:
1. Meet or exceed the provincial housing unit targets. These should be seen as a minimum; the @SP_Inst demand projections somewhat exceed the targets set by the province, and those were calculated before the federal government increased immigration targets.
2. Ensure that what is built includes a high proportion of attainable, family-friendly, and climate-friendly units, incl. housing of all built forms. While additional smaller units are also needed, the most substantial needs are homes large enough to raise a family with children.
3. Create more senior-friendly housing. Hamilton’s aging population is creating a need for different housing types. More senior-friendly housing would have the dual benefit of freeing up more family-friendly housing for the next generation of workers.