Housing for retirees & an ageing community

My answer

Absolutely. I do think Marathon has a gap when it comes to affordable, appropriate and accessible housing for retirees and people as they age.

This one is close to home for me too. I currently have an ageing parent here in Marathon who is beginning to need some of these options, so I understand how important it is for people to be able to stay in the community they know and love.

For some people, downsizing might mean an affordable apartment. For others, it could be a smaller accessible home with no stairs, manageable outdoor space, and enough room for children, grandchildren or family to come stay. Having choices matters.

The Town’s own Housing Needs Assessment supports this concern. It identifies the need for more affordable, accessible and senior-friendly housing, along with more rental options and a greater variety of housing types. So this is not simply something individual residents are noticing — it has already been identified as a community need.

There are positive things happening, including the Poppy Lane tiny-home project. But one project will not meet the full range of housing needs for retirees in Marathon.

I believe housing needs to remain a municipal priority. That means continuing to understand where the gaps are, looking at the land and planning tools available to the Town, building partnerships, pursuing CMHC and other provincial and federal funding opportunities, and advocating for the resources Northern communities need.

I’ve seen what partnerships can accomplish through my previous involvement with Marathon Municipal Non-Profit Housing and the 50-unit development on Chisholm Trail. Housing projects take years of planning, financing, partnerships and persistence. They do not happen because one person promises them; they happen because people keep working together and keep looking for ways to make them possible.

There is also a ripple effect. When retirees have appropriate options to downsize, larger homes can potentially become available for younger families and people moving into Marathon. That broader housing supply also matters when we are trying to recruit and retain professionals, including health-care workers.

Marathon needs more affordable, accessible and age-friendly housing choices, and I believe this needs to stay on the Council table.