Issue link: http://townofcary.uberflip.com/i/791946
POLICY DIRECTION Policy Policy Intent Policy 2: Provide More Housing Choices for All Residents Provide high quality housing in suitable areas that can accommodate a variety of lifestyles, households, ages, cultures, market preferences, and incomes. This includes dwellings for aging seniors and empty nesters, multi-generational households, young professionals, young families, and members of the local workforce. The intent of this policy is to recognize and accommodate the fact that Cary's residents increasingly reflect a diverse mix of family/household sizes, ages, races and ethnicities, incomes, and needs and abilities. A diversity of housing products is and will be needed to meet the needs of these residents. One particular objective of this policy is to encourage an adequate supply of housing suitable for our growing diversity of household types, including singles, couples without children, couples with children, single-parent households, empty-nest couples, seniors, and multi- generational households. Another objective is to encourage an adequate supply of housing for Cary's growing senior population, which might include smaller homes, small-lot homes, patio homes, multifamily housing, life care communities, and other options, and at diverse price points. The proximity of such housing to services and amenities is of high importance. This policy also encourages the provision of housing for those who are mobility-challenged, have disabilities, or special needs. Housing for seniors and others who have mobility challenges are encouraged to occur proximate to transit to improve mobility options. At the other end of the age spectrum, another objective is to encourage an adequate supply of housing for young adults/millennials and young families. This might include smaller homes, multifamily housing, townhome, patio home, small lot, mixed use housing, or other housing options. Housing options should include a variety of price points as well to accommodate young professionals and first time homebuyers. These should be located at locations that are walkable to shopping, dining, entertainment, and employment, and/or are convenient to transit. The provision of such housing will help support the recruitment of young talent sought by Cary's leading employers, and is thus important for Cary's economic health. Policy 3: Provide for More Housing Options in New Neighborhoods Provide the greatest variety of housing types and densities within mixed use centers and employment centers as designated by the Future Growth Framework map, and particularly within Downtown Cary. Housing options can take the form of different sized lots, different sized homes, different price points, different types of homes, and different types of home features, such as housing designs that support aging seniors or multi- generational households. The intent of this policy is to make available an increased mix of housing options in developing parts of town. The increased housing mix might be provided either within individual developments or within multiple proximate developments which together create a diverse housing mix. For many years, this has been the traditional pattern in Cary, and is exemplified in many well-known Cary communities, such as Kildaire Farms, Lochmere, and Cary Park. The objective of this policy is to encourage a mix of housing types within neighborhoods that can accommodate a variety of different types of households. This will help enable Cary's households to grow and age within their own neighborhoods by providing opportunities to change housing types while maintaining their neighborhood ties and social networks. For example, a neighborhood could provide "starter" housing options for singles and younger families, as well as opportunities to later "move up" to other housing types within the same neighborhood. Similarly, a neighborhood should offer housing options for downsizing empty-nesters, seniors, or retirees, so that they can continue to live within their own community. 23