By Jennifer DyckMorning Star Staff Jun 24 2007 http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/
Most renters know that finding a decent and affordable place to hang their hat can be challenging. That situation could become even worse with Vernon’s efforts to legalize secondary suites, says one of the city’s own. Coun. Juliette Cunningham is all for making suites safer for renters. And that is the intent of a recommendation that would give landlords who legalize their suites a one-year grace period from the nearly $15,000 in development cost charges (DCCs) currently required. But she has concerns that the recommendation, passed by council during Friday’s special Committee of the Whole meeting, could scare even more landlords into removing their suites from the market. “My idea of doing this is to create more affordable housing,” said Cunningham of the recommendation that still needs three readings and adoption. “But you’re raising the awareness in the community so you’re going to have complaints all over and people are going to be shutting down their suites.”
Traditionally the city hasn’t enforced legalizing suites due to the demand for affordable housing, but the push to get more suites legalized means more enforcement. “It’s kind of obvious that we’re not going to ignore illegal suites anymore,” said Cunningham. The city hopes the recommendation, once passed, will provide incentive for more people to legalize suites. The remaining costs will include a $2,844 DCC from NORD, which the city is pushing to be reduced, and nearly $250 in building permit and business licence fees. The recommendation also imposes that homes with suites be owner-occupied. “It’s better to have the homeowner there,” said Mayor Wayne Lippert. “It (suite) is there to help them pay a mortgage not have a mass rental.”
City planner Dale Rintoul says for any suites to become legalized they will have to comply with the B.C. building code. “But at the end of the day we have to be reasonable,” he added.
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