Summertime should also be laneway building time
Laneway housing has the potential to provide much-needed affordable rental housing in GTA neighbourhoods.
Summer in the GTA is a time for gardening, backyard barbecues … and home renovations.
I am always glad when I notice renovation and custom building in our neighbourhoods, not only because they benefit homeowners, but because when they are undertaken to create a secondary suite, they play a part in increasing our region’s housing supply. This is just another reason we should try to make the renovation and custom homebuilding process as easy as possible for homeowners.
Some people create secondary suites in their homes by finishing their basement or converting their attic. These spaces can then be used to house a family member — perhaps an elderly parent — or a tenant. Other homeowners in the GTA have a garage or another structure in their backyard that they can convert to a secondary unit.
Sometimes, homeowners even have space on their lot for a second, small dwelling. These homes typically face onto public lanes; Toronto, for instance, has more than 2,400 of these and they draw their water and electricity from the main house.
Laneway housing, as this type of home is known, has many proponents in the GTA, our industry among them, because it has the potential to provide much-needed affordable rental housing in established neighbourhoods.
While a basement or attic renovation requires only a simple building permit, until recently, homeowners who wanted to build laneway housing had to go through a complicated approvals process. This is the reason Toronto has only a few laneway homes. Things are changing, though. Recently, Toronto city council voted in favour of allowing laneway houses.
Whether you are planning to refurbish a basement or add a laneway house, a RenoMark renovator is your best ally in navigating the process. This renovation professional will share with you his or her knowledge of the rules and regulations that apply in your case and the permits you need. He or she can even submit the application to the municipality on your behalf. Find a RenoMark renovator at renomark.ca.
Unfortunately, even with the help of a RenoMark renovator, the permit and approval process can take months for basic home additions and more than a year for larger renovations and custom homes. That is why BILD created a Standard of Service Excellence that municipalities can adopt. Under the Standard, municipalities would commit to reasonable turnaround times and specific time frames, provide an online permitting portal for transparency and accountability, and improve service by building inspectors.
By adopting a Standard of Service Excellence for the permit and approval process, municipalities would not only make life easier for homeowners who are undertaking a renovation or building a custom home. They would also help speed up the building of the secondary units that help increase housing supply in our region.
If you want to take action to help make it easier for homeowners to renovate and create secondary units in their homes, you can send a letter to your candidate for municipal office through our Build for Growth campaign website, buildforgrowth.ca.