Councillors debate opening the door to more secondary suites in Edmonton

Renters may soon have more housing options if councillors agree to relax the rules aroundsecondary suites.

The city's urban planning committeediscussedTuesday amending a zoning bylaw that would permitowners of semi-detached, duplex and row housing to rent out self-contained suites.

Currently, only people owning singledetached homes are allowed to have secondary suites.

KeithLaRoyhas been living in a duplex near the Coliseum with his wife and kids for five years.

Built in the1970s, the home has an existing suite in the basement, which they don't rent out because they're not legally entitled under the current bylaw.

"We would love to because it would make a huge help to our mortgage,"LaRoysaid.

He saidother duplex owners in his neighbourhoodaren't heeding the rules and are renting out suites. He urges the city to update zoning somore homeowners canrent secondary suites.

Edmonton has 3,500 legal secondary suites, making up 1.7 per cent of the city's housing.

About sevenper cent of Edmonton's singledetached homes havea legal secondary suite.

Number of illegal suites unknown

The Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues (EFCL) said there are problem landlords not playing by the rules.

"We continue to see secondary suites that don't meet building code," said Bev Zubot, a planning adviser with the EFCL.

City staff said it's unknown howmany illegal suites actually exist in Edmonton.

• Illicit secondary suites in Edmonton duplexes could become legal

Coun. ScottMcKeenwonders if opening up the market more would invite more problem landlords.

"We [may] have these unintended consequences," he suggested.

"I don't share that view," Walters countered. "I think we have illegal suites that need to be brought into compliance."

He suggested amending the bylaw will help more landlords follow the law, but "not everybody's going to follow the rules, not everybody always follows the rules."

"At any one time, we're going to continue to see those illegal suites," Peter Ohm, chief planner told the committee.

Mayor Don Ivesonsupportsthe amendments, sayingthe city has a responsibility to make it safe by bringing secondary suitesinto compliance.

'This isn't the silver bulletto growth pressures'

The city started to allowsecondary suitesin 2009, withall singledetached homes with a property larger than 360 square metres eligible for a secondary suite.

Coun. Michael Walters believes expanding that right isone way the city can encourage more families to move into core and mature communities.

"What we're trying to do is create choice for people and trying to create affordability for people," he said Tuesday.

JonDziadyk, councillor for Ward 3, supportsthe option for semi-detached homes and duplexes but he's wary of extendingthat to row housing.

"It's already a dense housing type," he said. "I just don't think row housing in general is built to accommodate this type of density."

Walters disagrees and saidthe uptake on secondary suites has been gradual since the city started relaxing the rules in 2007.

"I don't think we need to worry that it's going to overrun neighbourhoods by any means. There's no evidence of that whatsoever."

A city report shows the mature and developing neighbourhoods of Oxford, Chappelle Area, Allendale, McKernan have the highest percentage of secondary suites compared to the number of singledetached houses.

"This isn't the silver bullet to Edmonton's growth pressures. This is just one strategy among many to help make lots and housing in mature neighbourhoods a little more affordable," Walters said.

Council will hold a public hearing in August to get input on the proposed bylaw amendments.

@natashariebe