The City of Calgary is experiencing some “suite” success when it comes to building permit applications for more secondary suites.
New numbers released Monday show applications for secondary suites in new communities rose by 114 per cent in the third quarter of this year compared to Q3 2022 with a total of 762 secondary suite building permits applications. Established communities also saw a big hike with 351 applications for an increase of 33 per cent.
“The growth in applications for secondary suites across Calgary are for both new builds and existing homes,” Manager of Business and Building Safety Approvals with Development, Building and Business Services, Ulrik Seward told Global News.
“We are pleased to see the increase in numbers.”
Eric Brophy is the site superintendent for Alliston Homes in the Belvedere subdivision in East Calgary. The majority of the homes in the area are single family homes — with a little extra.
“We do put a lot of side entry doors,” he told Global News.
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He said interest is certainly building when it comes to putting secondary suites in these homes.
“It’s definitely been more of a demand. The (owners) do want to rent them out and they want to rent out their basement – to maybe supplement their income or their mortgage,” Brophy added.
Brophy said it isn’t only Calgary owners looking to secondary suites to make an extra income, a lot of out-of-province owners are also investing in the doorways of the future.
“We do find that there are a lot of customers from Ontario, specifically that are interested in purchasing these homes.”
Homeowner Navreet Kaur says putting in a secondary suite was a win-win for her family. Kaur said not only does her family get some help with the costs of building a new home, but a struggling renter also gets a place to live.
“It provides a home to many people who want to rent basements, who don’t own a home yet,” she told Global News. “Students and others who can’t afford to buy a home.”
Seward concurred, adding that these new options provided to builders and owners, are one more step forward in fixing the affordable housing problem in the city.
“This has helped us reach over 11,000 safe, registered secondary suites. This will help us continue to increase the number of available safe and affordable housing options for renters and owners.”
Building boom?
Overall, the city reported it continued to see robust activity in the building and development sector in the third quarter of 2023.
From July to September of 2023, Calgary builders and developers submitted 1,565 single/semi-detached residential, 281 multi-family residential and 543 commercial building permit applications. Proposals to re-designate land increased by 80 per cent over the same period last year, with 119 applications submitted.
Also, 128 applications to subdivide land were submitted, an increase of 45 per cent during that time.
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