Mission residents will have an opportunity to share their feelings about secondary suites as part of the city’s affordable housing strategy.
Engage Mission launched a survey on Wednesday (Dec. 7) that asks participants their overall thoughts on secondary suites in addition to regulations around parking, building safety and utility fees. In B.C., secondary suites are defined as self-contained dwelling units located within a building or portion of a building that can be rented to other parties.
“Secondary suites are an important issue for the people of Mission,” said Mayor Paul Horn in a news release. “For many, they are a means to affordable home ownership, while others rely on them as rental housing. But we also know that people have questions about parking, utilities, bylaw compliance and safety. It’s time to revise our policies, but we need the community’s input so that we get it right.”
The survey results will be summarized and presented to council to inform the city’s future plans for secondary suites.
In Mission, secondary suites need to be zoned and built to provincial and municipal code standards. Local codes ensure there is additional onsite parking for the tenants.
The city says many suites in Mission are not zoned or built to code standards but it has allowed them to exist because housing affordability is at an all time low.
The survey will be open until Jan. 8 and participants can enter a draw to win a gift certificate for Mission Leisure Centre.
You can take the survey at: