Gentle density

Two tables this week and few words.

Table 1 shows that three quarters of us live in detached houses.  Another 10% live in townhouses.  Apartments hold another 10%.

In total roughly 97% of us live in a private dwelling.

Table 2 shows two things, firstly the biggest change in the number of people by housing type in terms of percentage variation over the past five years, and then – as shown in the second column, that change in terms of number of residents.

The big percentage growth was in backyard type homes, up a whopping 412% since 2016, followed by folks living in taller apartments buildings (36%).

Yet the biggest increase in terms of the actual increase in residents still remains detached housing – up 1,650,000 – and accounting for 80% of the change in population living in private dwellings between 2016 and 2021.

There was a 147,500 increase in people living in a townhouse over the same period.  Residents in a backyard home was up 33,800.

When it came to non-private dwellings, people in prison were up 9% and those in a nursing home rose by 8%.

The key message here is good luck trying to solve our current housing crisis by advocating the need to build more apartments.

Its gentle density that holds the key.

…..