Legalize Garden Suites, Granny Flats and Tiny Houses

Since the City of Ottawa legalized in-home apartments, 33,000 of them have come out of grey or black markets, a senior official there tells me. This means they’ve been brought into compliance with OBC, the Ontario Building Code, which is a good thing in my view.

Not only will homes be safer for owner-occupiers and tenants alike, when it’s time for re-sale, a cloud of uncertainty will be lifted over the sales process, and valuations will improve.

Now Ottawa, led by planner Alain Miguelez, is looking to legalize micro retail in inner city neighborhoods. This will bring more diversity, greater intensity and more convenience to those areas as well as giving micro entrepreneurs opportunity to set up localized shops. 

Good at baking? It may well soon be legal to have a small bakery in your home so neighbors will be able to walk over and pick up a warmed up chocolate croissant. The reason I use this example is that’s what I did Sunday when visiting a coaching client at his home in Aylmer Quebec. Mmm.

My client also said that the value of his duplex went up the day the nearby petite boulangerie opened. 🙂

Next on my list for de-regulation? Garden suites/granny flats/tiny houses.

This will help with the affordable housing/homeless problem, give renters a chance to become owners, and keep elders in their communities longer.

@ profbruce @ quantum_entity