City aims to expand housing options

May 26 Penticton Western News:

The city is considering additional steps towards increasing the supply of affordable housing. A committee has recommended that council approve new measures that would allow residents to make their basements and garages more habitable. The recommendation calls on council to permit kitchen facilities in basements and toilets, sinks or showers in garages. Council is expected to consider the recommendation at its next meeting. The recommendation follows the recent legalization of secondary suites and appears to pave the way towards carriage homes already approved in several other communities, including Kelowna. While several reports have identified carriages homes as affordable housing alternatives that may also double as mortgage helpers, they are not without controversy. A 2005 provincial government report titled Secondary Suites: A Guide for Local Governments notes that carriage homes are not necessarily affordable rental housing. “In some cases the accessory suite carriage house rents for more than the main dwelling,” the report notes, pointing specifically to the Kelowna experience. The report also identifies design concerns. “It is important to deal with design issues up front,” it states. “The visual impact of carriage house development has been a factor in negative reaction to the secondary suite program and a push to down zone in some areas.” The report also identifies other issues faced by communities as they expand alternative housing options. They include building code standards, bylaw enforcement, parking and liability. The recommendation is part and parcel of a larger package of recommendations designed to streamline local developments.