Eligibility for the upcoming Secondary Suites Incentive Program (SSIP) is being expanded to 16 regional districts, including the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK).

The three-year pilot SSIP was introduced in September 2023 and is set to launch in April 2024 to support the delivery of as many as 1,000 affordable rental units per year for three years. To do so, the SSIP will provide approximately 3,000 homeowners with forgivable loans for as much as $40,000 to create a new secondary suite or an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on their property, a Minister of Housing media release stated.

To qualify, the units must be rented below market rates for at least five years.

Sixteen of B.C.’s 27 regional districts have the necessary building bylaws, and building-permit and inspection services across their electoral areas that make them eligible for the SSIP pilot. The province will review whether it can add some of the remaining regional districts in years two or three of the SSIP, as either they do not have building bylaws and permit/inspection services or they are only provided to some areas.

“We’re expanding the secondary suite program as part of our Homes for People action plan to support the supply of affordable long-term rentals in even more areas of the province so more people can access below-market housing in urban and rural areas alike,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing.

“Rural homeowners who want to create a rental suite and people looking for affordable homes in rural B.C. will have more options soon,” said Roly Russell, Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Development. “The housing crisis affects all corners of the province. Giving people more options and support is important, and the addition of below-market rental suites and accessory units will help rural people, and communities, everywhere.”

The SSIP applies to all 161 incorporated B.C. municipalities and will now also be available in 16 regional districts, including East Kootenay, Central Kootenay and Kootenay Boundary.

To help homeowners navigate the process for a secondary suite, the Province released Home Suite Home, a comprehensive guide to build and manage a rental suite in British Columbia.

To help streamline the permitting process for local governments and homeowners, the province has launched a standardized housing-design project and is developing standardized designs that will be pre-approved for ADUs and small-scale, multi-unit dwellings. Four of these standardized designs and plans for ADUs are expected to be available to local governments by summer 2024, and will help homeowners and builders save on time and costs. The housing ministry said.

Legislation was introduced on Nov. 1, 2023, to allow secondary suites and ADUs across B.C.

There are approximately 228,700 units that could be rented out as secondary suites in British Columbia, according to BC Assessment data from 2022.

BC Government photo

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