For several months now, I’ve had a draft blog about housing for aging boomers simmering away on the back burner of BoomerBroadcast , and a recent article in the Sunday New York Times titled Hanging On To This Old House prompted me to dust it off and share my thoughts on the issue. Then, I read a piece by Dave LeBlanc in the real estate section of the Friday, September 4, 2026 edition of The Globe and Mail that loudly rang my bells: Women take the reins in new family-friendly condo project. A dynamic team of women built a condo building at 689 The Queensway in Toronto that finally addressed the needs of an ignored segment of the housing market. Urban Capital, BDP Quadrangle Architects, and Spotlight Developments financed, designed, and built a building with larger-than-normal units and amenities that appeal to women—without insulting us and painting everything pink. Herringbone floors? Be still my beating heart. I wonder if this team would consider designing for the aging boomer market too.

There is a reason baby boomers are hanging on to their too-big-for-our-current-needs homes instead of downsizing and freeing up housing for young families. In fact, there are several reasons, and they are not all economic. My husband and I currently live in a house that is too big for both our wants and needs, but when we research our options to downsize, we can find nothing that meets our requirements, so we always end up deciding to stay right where we are, stairs and all.

First of all, let’s ditch once and for all the misconception that boomers had it easy when we bought our first homes. I was in my thirties in the 1970s when my first husband and I finally bought a freehold townhouse. We both worked in the city, and real estate prices at that time were prohibitive, so we ventured out to Pickering (east of Toronto) in the far burbs, where we bought a modest townhouse with linoleum floors and Arborite countertops in the kitchen (ceramic tile floors and granite countertops were out of the question). We could only afford four appliances, and I desperately wanted a dishwasher (my first ever), so I decided to forgo a clothes dryer, and I hung laundry in the basement for three years until we could afford a dryer.

In order to buy that house, we took out a first and second mortgage, which considerably strained our budget. Don’t forget, during the 70s, boomers also faced mortgage rates in the 18% range, which is inconceivable to young people today. My friends were going through the same challenges, so we were not an anomaly. A subsequent divorce and living on my own kept me in modest accommodations until I remarried at the age of fifty-five, when I finally moved into a detached house with hardwood floors and granite countertops for the first time in my adult life. Two incomes definitely make life easier.

Now that we’re both retired, we are enjoying a nice lifestyle after each spending more than forty years in the workforce. When I first retired, I found myself apologizing for my comfortable lifestyle when younger people seemed to be having so much difficulty. Then, I finally realized I had earned this retirement after working at a variety of jobs beginning when I was eight years old as an order taker and dispatcher in my family’s single-car taxi business. I now remind those envious Gen Zs and others that all they have to do is work for more than forty years and be careful with their money—no more apologies. Boomers grew up with frugal parents who endured the Depression and WWII. We did not have things handed to us the way kids today get iPhones, all the latest clothes, plenty of pocket money and even cars. Most of us had part-time jobs from an early age to buy the latest Beatles record or modest extras.

When boomers became empty nesters, we started looking at the years ahead and the encumbrances of maintaining a family home and property. We considered moving to a condo. Some of us sold the family home and moved north to the year-round cottage or to a smaller community, now that we were no longer commuting to work. Some of us moved into rental accommodation. As we considered our options and weighed the lifestyle and financial implications of downsizing, and drew up our lists of pros and cons, we encountered a significant number of cons. The major con is that we do not like what is currently being offered on the market for retiring boomers.

Mind The Gap

What the housing market has overlooked is the 10-20-year gap that boomers between the ages of 60 and 80+ face between offloading the family home and needing assisted living. While we no longer need three or four bedrooms and a basement full of junk, we’re not yet ready for walkers, communal dining, and navigating life without our driver’s licence. This is an enormous and neglected demographic that could and should be addressed. If we had the option of appropriate housing, it could easily be transferred to Gen X’ers and Ys in a few years when they also age out of larger homes. This market holds enormous potential for builders and developers. Perhaps quality engineered homes could help fill this need. Let’s get creative.

Here’s my shopping list of some amenities we’re looking for:

1. Space! This is number one for a reason. We are not bedridden or inactive. We enjoy a busy lifestyle. Squeezing us into 635 square feet is claustrophobic and unworkable for busy boomers. Boomer gals, whether single or partnered, would like hubby or partner to have a small den set up solely for watching sports and old westerns on television, while we may want a separate alcove of our own for a computer/office/crafts setup. Those of us who are single or widowed still need an extra room for overnight guests or an office.

   

2. Linen closets. We have a sizeable supply of sheets, towels, and toiletries. Don’t stick four wire shelves at the end of an already small bedroom closet and call it a linen closet. Ideally, put the linen closet in the master bathroom where it’s handy for everyday use. Design it to include adjustable shelves and sliding shelves for toiletries. Storage is a big priority for us.
3. Front hall closets. We have a lot of coats, shoes, and boots that require adequate closet space at the front door. I have actually seen senior living floor plans with no front hall closet. This is Canada!
4. Huge clothes closets. At the very least, a giant walk-in closet with shelves, perhaps some drawers, and upper and lower rails for maximizing storage space. Boomers have more clothes than our depression-era parents. We are also more active and involved in sports and other activities, so we have proportionately larger wardrobes.
5. A balcony or terrace. I once lived in a lovely, south-facing condo with no balcony and thought I was going to suffocate, so we had to move. We need to be able to step outside or sit outside our unit to get fresh air, hopefully with a view of treetops or greenery, not overlooking a busy thoroughfare and not into the windows of the condo across the way. Some of us like to continue gardening but in a smaller way with balcony pots, and room for comfortable patio furniture.
6. Room for seating at a dining table extendable to six people. Boomers still entertain from time to time, and a breakfast bar with a couple of chairs will never do. At the very least, we have people over to play cards or games and need space to socialize in the years before we move to assisted living.
7. King-size bedrooms. Many of us have king-size beds or twin beds. We require bedroom space to accommodate larger furniture, including dressers for smaller articles of clothing. It would also be nice to have room for a bench at the foot of the bed or a chair to sit on when we are putting on socks and shoes, or a spot to roll back the bedspread, duvet, and decorative cushions during the night.
8. One last thing! Get a woman to design the interior space. Women understand function, not just form!

Bottom line: We want more space—less than our family home, but more than what is currently being offered in senior accommodation. Canadian builders and developers would do well to replicate the wonderfully designed homes and condos in Florida that cater to retired seniors. They offer two or three bedrooms with a den, room for a decent dining table, giant closets in the master bedroom, efficient kitchens with plenty of cupboards and a pantry, and no stairs or steps. They also have dedicated laundry rooms, and for detached homes and semi-detached villas, two-car garages for two vehicles or one vehicle and storage. Would 1200-1400 square feet be unreasonable? Build it, and we will come. And we will pay for it.

Our Empty Nest Is Our Safety Net

The financial considerations for empty-nesters to stay put are a major determinant in whether we downsize or not. By the time we pay real estate fees, legal fees, moving, and other costs, it’s very likely we will not net out an amount worth making the move viable. Furthermore, it’s not uncommon for private assisted living or chronic care facilities to cost $10,000.00 per month or more, depending on where we live. If we sell our homes, we can burn through our entire nest egg long before we depart this earth. What then? This is something seniors should also take into consideration when asked to help grandchildren or children financially. We need to play the long game, and that means making our money last as long as possible to cover unforeseen costs as we age. No one else, including limited government assistance, is going to do it for us.

Should we decide to age in place, the cost of hiring PSWs ($35-$45.00 per hour), domestic help, and supplementary medical assistance devices can add up at a shocking rate. Do the math. Staying in our empty nests may be our first choice, but we also risk social isolation when the time comes that we can no longer golf, play tennis and pickleball, take art classes, join friends for lunch at a nearby restaurant, or attend regular card games and book club.

Another downside to aging in place is our inability to access the financial equity in our homes when we do not want to assume a reverse mortgage. Having a million dollars, more or less, tied up in real estate restricts our lifestyle and our spending potential in the years when we should be enjoying our nest egg. What’s a boomer to do? If there were properly designed, affordable options currently available, then we would sell the family home and move. Unfortunately, what is being offered today does not meet our needs and wants. By the time that situation is rectified, Gen Xers may benefit, but it will be too late for boomers.

It looks like baby boomers could live longer than any generation in history. I invite government at all levels, builders, designers, and developers to check out my wish list above and create senior retirement living that meets the needs and wants of boomers. Take a trip to Florida and check out the senior living options available there, where they understand our needs and wants. That 10-20-year gap between shedding our big family homes and needing assisted living should not be ignored. Retirement for us is not the same as it was for our parents, the Greatest Generation. Recognition and solutions to this reality are long overdue. Feel free to share this with anyone who could make a difference.