Image: A proposed city hall program could pay Abbotsford home owners $10 thousand to develop secondary suites in their homes. / Modfos / Dreamstime

By Fraser Valley Today Staff

financial incentive

Abbotsford council to consider secondary suite program to boost housing supply

Jul 28, 2024 | 5:55 AM

ABBOTSFORD — In an effort to address the growing housing crisis, Abbotsford City Council is set to consider the proposed Secondary Suite Incentive Program when it meets this week. The initiative aims to expand secondary suite approvals and legalize unauthorized secondary suites, fulfilling a key commitment under the City’s $25.6 million Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) grant from the federal government.

In late 2023, the City secured up to $25.6 million from the federal HAF, a country-wide competitive grant program designed to increase housing supply through local government initiatives. The City’s successful application was based on a council-approved Action Plan comprising of seven initiatives, one of which is the Secondary Suite Incentive Program. The City must implement the program and incentivize at least 73 additional secondary suites over the next three years to receive the full funding.

In a report to Council, city staff say the proposed Secondary Suite Incentive Program is structured to encourage property owners to either add new secondary suites to their existing homes or register currently unpermitted suites.

Key features of the program include a streamlined registration process, waiving application or permit fees, a five-year mandatory retention period for registered suites, and financial incentives that could provide property owners up to $10 thousand. The program will be open only to existing homes that received an occupancy permit more than 12 months from the date of the application.

The proposal has garnered support from various advisory committees, including the Business, Innovation, and Public Affairs Advisory Committee. Feedback from the committees focused on prioritizing new legal suites over existing ones and considering additional funding if demand exceeds initial projections.

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If approved by Council during its regular Tuesday meeting, the program could launch as early as September 16, with grant funding available until it is exhausted or December 18, 2026.