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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, A ug us t 25 ,2 02 2 | 14 1276 Cornwall Road, Unit C, Oakville Ontario, L6J 7W5 T: 905-845-0767 • F: 905-845-5552 •www.haxelllaw.com • lawyers@haxelllaw.com Personal Professional Service at Competitive Rates Buying? Selling? Re Call us for a quote at 905-845-0767 ext. 223Jameson Glas 905-845-0767 ext. 223Jameson Glas GOLD WINNER 2021 7 choirs Programs for ages 4 to 24 All experience levels welcome Engaging weekly rehearsals Award winning artistic team Concert and Festival performances National & International tours Premiere choral commissions Workshops with guest artists Professional video & audio productions Make new friends & lasting friendships Why should you join? info@oakvillechoir.org 905 337 7104 COME SING WITH US! Register for 2022/2023 Schedule your vocal placement today Where young leaders find their voices! www.oakvillechoir.org Tuition Fees - No change from last season Quarterly Payments Bursaries Available Volunteer Buyout Refer A Friend Rebate Fundraising Credit mind to put them in a long- term care facility. "That's our mindset." His three kids are happy to have their grandparents around, even with some language barrier, he said. The Shabratis' situation is far from unique. More people throughout the re- gion -- including Oakville -- and across the country are choosing to share a roof with their parents and oth- er family members, ac- cording to the latest data by Statistics Canada. The 2021 census report shows that nearly one mil- lion Canadian households in 2021 were composed of multiple generations of a family, two or more fami- lies, or one family living with additional persons. This has grown "rapid- ly" from 20 years ago, up by more than 45 per cent. Locally, communal liv- ing arrangements are get- ting more common com- pared to the previous cen- sus in 2016. In Oakville, the propor- tion of multi-generational households -- at least three generations living to- gether -- went up from four to 4.4 per cent. The in- crease was 6.2 to seven per cent in Milton, 4.1 to 4.7 per cent in Halton Hills and 2.5 to 2.8 per cent in Burling- ton. Margo Hilbrecht, exec- utive director with the Va- nier Institute of the Fami- ly, pointed out some driv- ing factors for the multi- generational living "phe- nomenon" in the country, a list that includes housing cost, cultural preferences in the case of Indigenous and newcomer families, and family caregiving. While data suggests it may trend even higher, she said this depends on how responsive developers are in designing and building for multi-generational families -- and for munici- palities to create accom- modating policies, includ- ing allowing garden suites to be built. "It's really good to see these numbers and I hope that they are noticed by policy-makers," she said. Halton has long enjoyed the reputation of being an affluent region. New data from Statis- tics Canada show that the median after-tax house- hold income in Halton con- tinued to rise from 2015 to 2020, outpacing the nation- al growth rate of 9.8 per cent with $73,000. Oakville's figure was at $108,000 (up 13.6 per cent), with Milton and Halton Hills at $107,000 (up 20.1 and 18.8 per cent respectively) and Burlington at $94,000 (up 18.1 per cent). But the region isn't im- mune to the housing crunch. The affordable housing crisis and current high in- terest rates have resulted in a changing market, where "some young buyers are giving up" on getting a property due to the tough- er stress test, said longtime Halton realtor Norm Pag- et. "They've actually moved in with mom and dad," he said. "I think you're going to see more multi-generational homes and people more willing to try it." This also extends to sib- lings. "I have seen a few cases where two brothers and two sisters in their families will get together and buy a house. One lives up, one lives down," he said. Hilbrecht noted that in these living arrangements "no one size fits all and families are diverse." "It's up to each family to decide what's the best possible situation for them and with the re- sources that they have available or whether it's going to work at all. And it may also be that family members would prefer to not live together," she said. For newcomer Tunde Aluko, "the more is the merrier" when it comes to communal living -- and it's all about having a good support system with shared values. Aluko has been living with his wife and two chil- dren in Halton for the past two years, while his par- ents spend their time be- tween here, Lagos and Ni- geria. That could become more permanent in the fu- ture. "They're not used to the winter," he chuckled. In his home country, it's very common for people to remain in their childhood homes, he said. If they do decide to raise a family elsewhere, it is the norm for the aging parents to eventually join them. "We live together in har- mony, peace and love," he said. STORY BEHIND THE STORY: In light of in- formation revealed in the 2021 Canadian Census, we wanted to examine the rise of multi-generational households in Halton and why families gravitate toward the lifestyle. NEWS Continued from page 1 MANY FACTORS DRIVING CHANGE IN HOUSING TRENDS Realtor Norm Paget said due to the housing crisis there's more pressure to find alternate accommodations. Ron Stiel photo "It's up to each family to decide what's the best possible situation for them." - Margo Hilbrecht, executive director with the Vanier Institute of the Family SCAN THIS CODE to view Part 1 of series focusing on challenges facing Halton's aging population.