In an effort to urge Calgary’s city council to permit secondary suites in all residential areas, Calgary Real Estate Board joined forces with Calgary Chamber of Commerce and other leading business organizations. However, certain conditions need to be met for the permission to be granted and they are:
- · Owner occupancy requirements in single family neighborhoods
- · Adequate parking is available or waived near transit
- · Maximum occupancy limit with 2 bedrooms and five people
- · Building codes and health and safety standards are met
Currently, secondary suites are permitted only in select land use districts. Allowing secondary suites in all residential units will help solve a lot of problems as more people will be able to find affordable rental units. There are added social and economic benefits like seniors being able to stay in their homes longer and being able to provide accommodation to their live-in care takers at the same time.
Plus, permitting secondary suites in all residential neighborhoods would also be a “green” step as this would reduce ecological footprint. There are several secondary suites remaining vacant in Calgary owing to the permit not being available for secondary suites in all residential areas. On top of that, there are many people who are interested in homes with secondary suites.
To sum it all up, secondary suite is the solution to today’s problems related to residence and permitting secondary suites in all residential areas would increase the overall life standard of the people in Calgary. It is not that The City of Calgary has paid a deaf ear to secondary suites. Back in the year 2009, it had launched a Secondary Suite Grant Program that had the provision of offering a grant of up to $25,000 to cover up to 70% of the costs of developing or upgrading a legitimate secondary suit. However, the fate of the permission for secondary suites in all residential areas is yet to seen.
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