In all of Vernon there is only one suite that can be legally rented out.
Hundreds of other suites are currently being rented illegally. The $15,000 in development cost charges, which must be paid before a secondary suite can be rented out seems to keep most landlords operating on the other side of the bylaw. Coun. Juliette Cunningham is seeking to remedy the problem by granting a one-year grace period during which landlords can legalize their suites and avoid paying the city‘s development cost charge. Currently, the city levies $12,000 for secondary suites. Landlords wishing to make their secondary suites legal would still have to pay a $2,844 development cost to the North Okanagan Regional District. “We know we have a lot of illegal suites in Vernon,” said Cunningham, “There is a lot of pressure in Vernon because of the tight housing situation.” Cunningham said she hopes that by offering this incentive to legalize secondary suites in the next year, landlords would bring sub-par suites up to standard.
Hundreds of other suites are currently being rented illegally. The $15,000 in development cost charges, which must be paid before a secondary suite can be rented out seems to keep most landlords operating on the other side of the bylaw. Coun. Juliette Cunningham is seeking to remedy the problem by granting a one-year grace period during which landlords can legalize their suites and avoid paying the city‘s development cost charge. Currently, the city levies $12,000 for secondary suites. Landlords wishing to make their secondary suites legal would still have to pay a $2,844 development cost to the North Okanagan Regional District. “We know we have a lot of illegal suites in Vernon,” said Cunningham, “There is a lot of pressure in Vernon because of the tight housing situation.” Cunningham said she hopes that by offering this incentive to legalize secondary suites in the next year, landlords would bring sub-par suites up to standard. According to Cunningham this would ensure that the amount of safe affordable accommodations would rise. “Right now it is exactly the same (development costs)
for a secondary suite as it is to build a new house,” said Cunningham, “We‘re trying to make it reasonable and affordable so people can do things the legal way.” Cunningham said the city has acknowledged that the development costs are expensive by not cracking down on the hundreds of suites which are rented illegally at present. “The city isn‘t going to be draconian about enforcement. We‘ll deal with it on a complaint basis.” Before the measure is passed, it needs to go to public hearing. In an earlier interview with Barbara Levesque, executive director of Howard House, she said there is a huge need for more affordable housing in Vernon. “I have people at Howard House who are sober, are in healthy relationships, have good jobs and so on, but they can‘t find any independent housing that is affordable. It‘s nearly impossible in this city.” “To us that is just about as big a concern as having no emergency shelter.”
for a secondary suite as it is to build a new house,” said Cunningham, “We‘re trying to make it reasonable and affordable so people can do things the legal way.” Cunningham said the city has acknowledged that the development costs are expensive by not cracking down on the hundreds of suites which are rented illegally at present. “The city isn‘t going to be draconian about enforcement. We‘ll deal with it on a complaint basis.” Before the measure is passed, it needs to go to public hearing. In an earlier interview with Barbara Levesque, executive director of Howard House, she said there is a huge need for more affordable housing in Vernon. “I have people at Howard House who are sober, are in healthy relationships, have good jobs and so on, but they can‘t find any independent housing that is affordable. It‘s nearly impossible in this city.” “To us that is just about as big a concern as having no emergency shelter.” 
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