Stratford must double housing units: report

A new study released on housing needs in Stratford says the town will need double the amount of housing it has now if its population continues to boom in the next 20 years.

The report, commissioned by the town of Stratford and produced by Stantec Consulting Ltd., said Stratford is the second fastest growing community in the Maritimes after Dieppe, N.B.

The housing demand study reviewed demographic trends and Stratford's community profile, housing development trends, the current housing supply and identified various types of future housing demand including single family, duplexes, townhouses, row-housing and multifamily units for the next 10 years.

The report predicted the town will grow by 90 per cent in the next two decades.

David Dunphy, the mayor of Stratford, said the town plans to work with developers to make sure some of that housing is affordableespecially for seniors, whose numbers are expected to triple.

"The segment of the market that wants smaller units maybe, entry level housing, seniors that want to move from their home into a smaller unit, whether it's a townhouse or some kind of a development with less maintenance, less upkeep and still allows them to live independently in their own home," he said.

"It's that kind of housing that we're looking at."

Dunphy said the town will hold public meetings in the next few months so Stratford residents can have their say in the town's official plan.