ABOUT THE PROJECT
Peterborough and Northumberland have an increasing number of seniors who are in need of affordable, attainable housing that integrates purpose and fosters quality of life. The problem is trifold. First, seniors make up a large proportion of the region’s population and it is growing (22% in Peterborough and 26% in Northumberland). Second, there is little affordable housing in the region. Vacancy rates in Northumberland are .3% and 1.5% in Peterborough; third, the existing model for seniors housing may be seen as alienating and isolating for its residents.
Given that the Peterborough region is the fastest growing area in Canada with the second highest senior population in the country***, pressure on the limited housing supply will only increase. This presents a unique opportunity to create a housing model specific to seniors. Coupled with the predominantly rural geography, this Solutions Lab will capture the challenges associated with rural and urban settings. Working with potential future users (residents), service providers and community members, this project will explore the values, needs and lived experiences of seniors and newcomers. The project will explore the benefits of intergenerational co-housing (looking to newcomers), various programming, and service gaps, seeking to create a model capable of providing affordable housing that contributes to social inclusion, a sense of pride and purpose.
The model will investigate the incorporation of a social/economic purpose driven Hub, promoting social inclusion, learning, networking, and economic opportunities. All elements of the Hub support the senior residents in participatory activities to enrich their lives; in turn the Hub and residents are involved with economic and health promoting opportunities positively affecting the entire community.
Affordable housing with Hub will provide opportunities for seniors and newcomers to live cooperatively, integrating their skills and
knowledge, and supporting each other’s social and learning needs. This unique focus on co-housed seniors and newcomers could provide benefits such as social networks, access to resources and cross–cultural learning.
About the Process
Why a Solution Lab
This Solution Lab will use interviews and workshops to identify challenges, needs and programming/service gaps, working toward developing a potential solution specific to the primary population which addresses the
unique constraints of this rural geographic area.
Interviews will occur at two stages. First, early in the process service providers in the region will be interviewed to identify issues seniors currently face in relation to housing, service gaps and possible solutions. These learnings will contribute to the development of appropriate workshop activities that may capture stories, beliefs, behaviours, assumptions which will allow insights to produce new solutions. Second, interviews with potential end-users will occur as a follow-up to the first workshop primarily for data verification purposes
and to probe deeper into questions that remain unanswered, or new questions that arose through the workshop. Interviews will be a mix of open- and closed-ended questions clarifying comments made and elaborating on presented ideas and themes.
Interviews will be analyzed for themes and specific issues, values and goals.
​
​
​
​
Activity-based workshops will take place to engage potential end-users, community members and service providers in collective inquiry and discussions of, a) lived experience of seniors housing, b) current issues as well as service and programming gaps, c) develop mechanisms (design, programming, services, etc) to address these gaps, and d) identify required capacities and strengths that can be used to achieve these goals.
These discussions will occur in a workshop format, allowing participants to talk and work amongst one another, opening opportunities for sharing and learning. Encouraging diverse perspectives on the issues and needs an ageing population faces will foster new perspectives on seniors housing and probe for a deeper understanding. Activities will be purposefully designed to enable all skill levels and all levels of housing knowledge to participate and share their knowledge and experience. The workshop is an opportunity for everyone to share
and learn from one another, thereby creating the best environment to drive innovation and uncover unexpected solutions. Rather than presenting a prototype from the start and asking for feedback, the Lab seeks to test assumptions and listen to participants. Together, workshop participants and Lab team members will explore the solution space to uncover design and programming solutions that are appropriate to the geography, needs and desires of seniors in the Peterborough and Northumberland region.
​
​