For decades it has been a way for thousands of Edmontonians to make ends meet, whether they're young families struggling to pay a mortgage, seniors faced with fixed incomes and rising taxes or landlords looking for more revenue.
Put up some drywall, install a bathroom, fridge, stove and cabinets in a basement, above a garage or even in a separate little building in your garden — and presto, you have a secondary suite.
Many secondary suites are located near post-secondary institutions, where housing demand far exceeds the supply. An estimated 10,000 suites in Edmonton contravene zoning bylaws, but the City has generally turned a blind eye to this largely underground movement. Although it has the power to shut them down, there are no fines on the books. Until recently, the secondary suite has been a source of ambivalence for the City.
A severe housing shortage that peaked in 2006 and 2007 transformed the blind eye into a helping hand. Edmonton's homeless count has been growing yearly, more than tripling since 1999 to more than 3,000, and the City has been under pressure to do something about the lack of affordable housing for the homeless and working poor. As a result, zoning bylaws have been loosened and homeowners can now get grants to build new suites or bring current suites up to snuff.
"I'm a strong believer that this is a very cost-effective, non-invasive way of creating new affordable housing," says City housing manager Terry Loat. "You're not about to get a big towering behemoth beside your own investment in a home."
As part of Cornerstones, a $148-million program implemented by the City of Edmonton in 2006 to create more than 2,500 units of affordable housing, the City committed $12.7 million for grants to encourage the development of new secondary suites or improve existing ones. Under the program, homeowners can receive up to $24,000 to renovate existing secondary suites, and up to $20,000 to build new suites in existing or new homes.
But the criteria is extensive and the rules have changed on several occasions since the program's inception. To be eligible for a grant, landlords must provide a separate entrance, a minimum floor area per person, cooking facilities and a bathroom, as well as conforming to Alberta Fire Code requirements, such as having an alarm system connected to the rest of the home and minimum window sizes. The existing units must be rented out to people whose earnings are less than the median income for the Edmonton area, which is pegged by Canada Mortgage and Housing at $27,000 for a single person and $49,000 for a couple, and the homeowner must put up at least 25 per cent of his or her own money toward the construction.
Thanks to this program, Derek Stephen, 31, and Lindsay Cragg, 27, both students in NAIT's ultrasound technology program, were able to find a bright, new 900-square-foot basement apartment for $1,100 per month, including all utilities except phone. For what they're getting, it's a great deal compared to other apartments they shopped around for online.
"This place jumped out at us," says Cragg. "It's just renovated and we're the first tenants." They especially like the modern kitchen cupboards with the lazy Susan utensil racks, and they appreciate the plentiful storage space. For people living largely on student loans, it's a good stepping-stone toward the time when they can afford to buy their own homes. And they both appreciate that they don't have to complicate their busy lives with paying utility bills, either.
Post new comment