My contribution is the suite within a suite...which was included in a number of projects at SFU's UniverCity. Just as some single family houses have a basement suite to provide affordable housing and help pay the mortgage , these two and three bedroom suites had a 'lock-off' suite that could be rented out or ultimately incorporated into the balance of the unit. I saw this as a way for households to afford the larger unit that they might ultimately need by renting out a portion.
It's like a 'basement suite in the sky' or as the Province newspaper dubbed it, 'A mortgage helper in the sky'
In 2007, this idea was selected by the Urban Land Institute for publication given its innovative approach. I am delighted that the organizers of the Museum exhibit learned about it and chose to include it in the show. I'm just sorry I can't be there to attend the opening and see the other ideas on display. Here's some more information about the exhibition.
MAKING ROOM is a CHPC initiative that brings together cutting-edge housing policy and demographic research with pragmatic policy recommendations that would help to develop some brand new, legal and safe housing options for 21st century New York City.
We are delighted to announce that these cutting-edge ideas will now be showcased at the Making Room Museum Exhibition, opening on January 23rd at the Museum of the City of New York. To attend the exclusive exhibition reception, taking place on January 22nd at 6pm, email your name to RSVP@mcny.org.
Over the last three years, CHPC has been dedicated to exploring new housing ideas so that New York City can Make Room for its whole population.
We developed a unique data model to examine how New Yorkers are being accommodated in housing today. The unexpected finding was a predominance of non-traditional households struggling to fit themselves into a housing stock designed and built for traditional households. New trends in immigration, demographics, technology, and the economy are reshaping how people live.
Almost half of New York adults are now single, creating a need for new types of living arrangements. Only 18% of our housing is occupied by a nuclear family (two parents and children under age 25). Nevertheless, New York City housing regulations continue to encourage homes and apartments designed for nuclear families; single family units with mostly two and three bedrooms. With unmet demand for more diverse housing choices growing, especially for the millions of single adults, the Making Room project revealed that more and more people are turning to the improvised housing market, often living in illegal and dangerous situations.
