Suite deal for Esquimalt renters
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Updated: September 15, 2009 2:24 PM
Esquimalt council has made legalizing secondary suites a priority in order to ease the affordable housing crunch in the city.
Secondary suites are illegal in Esquimalt, but council is looking to change that.
They’ve been mulling the idea for about a year, and are getting closer to adopting a revised zoning bylaw.
“We know that there’s already a lot of secondary suites in Esquimalt, whether they’ve been approved with building permit or not,” said Barbara Snyder, director of development services.
“There’s a housing shortage, especially with affordable housing and we want two things: we want to increase the supply of affordable housing units ... and ensure those suites are brought up to a certain standard and are safe.”
Snyder will present a draft bylaw at Monday’s council meeting where it could see a first and second reading if council decides no further revisions are needed.
There will be a public hearing sometime next month, with a tentative date set for Oct. 13, before council does a final reading.
Oak Bay and Saanich do not allow secondary suites, although both municipalities are looking into the issue.
Earlier this week, North Saanich council voted to implement a one-year secondary suite pilot program in the south east quadrant of the municipality.
lweighton@vicnews.com
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