Gentle density housing is not a perfect, complete solution, but it is a powerful place to start. If family structures have changed, zoning must change too. Canada does not need to erase single-family homes, but it should stop treating them as the mandatory default model that everyone is forced to follow.

Drawing from a previous research project that used design anthropology and a human-centered approach to examine how low-income seniors can age in community (Bae, 2025), this paper identifies a critical, earlier intervention point prior to seniorhood. Low-income women aged 45 to 64 represent a vital demographic for preventative policy; housing and income instability during this life stage frequently accelerates into long-term poverty, chronic poor health, and a heavier reliance on public systems later in life. (McDonald & Robb, 2004) Rather than waiting until these individuals reach seniority or enter an acute crisis, housing policy can intervene proactively. Implementing targeted support at this stage stabilizes housing before a downward socioeconomic spiral becomes harder—and far more expensive—to reverse.