By Chad Klassen

City hosting open house tonight on idea of adding more secondary suites

Feb 5, 2019 | 4:59 AM

KAMLOOPS — The city is holding a public open house tonight (Feb. 5) to give Kamloops residents an opportunity to weigh in on the idea of allowing more secondary suites in light of a very tight rental market and a 1.3 per cent vacancy rental rate.  

City staff are considering the idea of rezoning certain areas of the city to allow for more legal secondary suites they feel could alleviate some of the housing issues now and into the future. 

“We have a low rental vacancy rate right now and have for a number of years, so suites can provide an affordable housing option for renters,” said city planner Carmin Mazzotta. “We’re also seeing increasing home-ownership costs, so suites can provide an affordable form of home ownership for people looking to get into the market.”

The city doesn’t know exactly how many illegal suites there are in Kamloops or how many more suites could be added with the rezoning. Mazzotta wants the suites to be safe for renters, ensuring they’re up to code, and also ensure there is adequate parking available in those neighbourhoods. 

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“We want to ensure that tenants’ health and safety is addressed by having suites built under a valid building permit,” he noted. “We also want to address neighbourhood concerns around parking by ensuring that suites are built in accordance to zoning regulations, so adequate off-street parking is provided.”

The open house is at the Valley First lounge at Sandman Centre from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. There is also an online survey that can be found on the city’s website under the Let’s Talk section.