Why Multi-Generational Living Is Becoming Markham's Real Housing Strategy

Why Multi-Generational Living Is Becoming Markham's Real Housing Strategy

A recent decision on John St. has quietly become one of the most meaningful housing stories in Markham this year. After more than three years of design revisions, hearings, and neighbourhood debate, a Markham family finally received approval to build a backyard addition behind their heritage home. The Ontario Land Tribunal overturned the earlier denial, confirming that the proposal "meets the legislative tests and represents good planning." The new space will allow three generations to live together, an accessible suite for a 90-year-old parent, a space for an adult son returning home, and flexible future-ready living for the couple themselves.

What makes this case important is that it reflects something many families in Markham are already experiencing. It is not unusual today to see adult children delaying moving out because the cost to buy nearby is too high. At the same time, many aging parents want to stay close to family,  both for support and emotional comfort,  but downsizing into a condo or long-term care facility is not always the right fit. And for families who want to stay in the same school district or cultural community, buying an additional detached home in the same area can be financially unrealistic. A backyard suite becomes a practical and emotionally meaningful solution, a way to maintain stability without sacrificing family closeness or uprooting daily life.

I recently worked with a family who was searching for exactly this kind of flexibility. They eventually purchased a detached home with a walkout basement in the Cachet area specifically because it allowed three generations to live together while still maintaining privacy and dignity for everyone. It took time and patience,  these homes are rare, competition is strong, and prices are high,  but for them, staying together in Markham mattered more than downsizing space or moving to a cheaper city. Their story is not unique. It's a pattern I see more and more: families are not just choosing homes, they are choosing continuity, continuity of school district, continuity of culture, continuity of lifestyle and support.

And when we look at this trend alongside broader national housing policy, the alignment becomes clear. The federal government has acknowledged that average home prices need to ease to improve affordability across the country. However, directly reducing prices in high-demand regions like Markham would create unintended consequences, especially for long-time homeowners who rely on home equity as part of their retirement security. So instead of forcing prices down in places like Markham, the strategy has shifted toward influencing where new homes get built and what forms they take across Canada.

The strategy is to influence where new supply goes and what type of supply is built. More new homes are now being encouraged in lower-cost provinces such as Alberta and the Atlantic region. That's why we are seeing very strong population inflow into Calgary and Halifax, while Ontario,  for the first time,  has started to show net out-migration among young working-aged adults. At the same time, the new housing being built nationwide is increasingly smaller and denser: condos, multiplexes, stacked towns, and purpose-built rental buildings. Total purchase price goes down, but mostly because the interior square footage goes down.

This means the national average price can fall,  while prices in places like Markham are not necessarily required to fall at all.

Which brings us back to the John St. case: if land in Markham continues to hold value due to schools, transit access, employment, and cultural networks, then the key question becomes not "Can we buy cheaper?" but "How can we use what we already own more efficiently?"

This is where Markham's strength lies. A large portion of Markham's established neighbourhoods, Unionville, Thornhill, Markville, Old Markham Village, were built with generous lot sizes by today's standards. These are neighbourhoods where property isn't just shelter; it's community identity, education continuity, and intergenerational financial strategy. Families who want to stay close now have an alternative path that doesn't require trading their neighbourhood for affordability elsewhere.

Multi-generational living, garden suites, linked additions, and flexible home layouts are no longer "exceptions to the rule." They are becoming the new way Markham families stay together and manage housing costs. These adjustments allow a single property to serve different phases of life: young children, teens, adult children returning home, and aging parents who want independence with support nearby. Instead of moving out to afford more space, families are learning to expand inward.

The John St. approval is not just one family's win, it marks a shift in how Markham grows from here. The future of the city is not only high-rise development near transit hubs, and not only suburban sprawl outward. It is gentle, thoughtful, small-scale intensification inside existing communities, the kind that respects heritage character, neighbourhood charm, and social bonds, while acknowledging that living patterns have changed.

Housing in Markham may not become cheaper. But it can become more adaptable. And in a high-demand market like this, adaptability is its own form of affordability.The value of a Markham home going forward will not just be measured in square footage or lot size,  but in how well it supports the real lives of the people inside it.




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