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February 2011 Alberta Economic Fundamentals

Ally

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Nenshi: Calgary needs courage on suites




Over the next few weeks, you will hear a lot of discussion and debate around secondary suites in Calgary.


It`s no secret that I strongly believe we need a change.




Currently, there are somewhere between 10,000 and 50,000 suites in Calgary.




No one knows the real number, because the vast majority of them are illegal.




What we do know is that they are in every neighbourhood in the city, and that most of the tenants are good neighbours.




But we also know that these people ` our neighbours ` live in a world without the protections that the rest of us enjoy.




If their landlord is abusing them, if the smoke detectors don`t work, if there`s no heat, if there is mould or a mouse infestation, they have nowhere to turn.



Read the full article here.
 

Ally

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The time has come for secondary suites in Calgary





CHBA ` Calgary Region and UDI ` Calgary are pleased to join with our community business partners in advocating for secondary suites in all residential areas.

As an Industry, we believe in two fundamental principles:




  • The right of all Canadians to decent, safe and appropriate housing and





    The right of all Canadians to a reasonable opportunity to own their own homes.




Secondary suites such as basement apartments, provide benefits both to tenants and homeowners. Typically, secondary suites rent for well below conventional apartments. They are, therefore an important source of low-cost accommodation. Making it easier to incorporate legal secondary suites into a primary residence also ensures safer suites; allowing the city to inspect their compliance with all building and fire code regulations.







It`s important to protect those most vulnerable today and make sure there are affordable housing choices for the next wave of economic growth and labour needed to sustain Calgary`s vitality.





Read the full article here.
 

Ally

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Zoning regulations for secondary suites in Calgary




A Secondary Suite
is is defined as self-contained accessory living quarters consisting of at least one bedroom, bathroom and kitchen, developed within, or on the same property as a single family home. A secondary suite must have direct access to the exterior by way of a doorway. Other common names for secondary suites are `mother-in-law suites` or `Granny Quarters`.




A secondary suite differs from an up/down duplex in that it is limited in size to a maximum of for 753 square feet and offers greater flexibility in form and placement on the property. It should be noted that the addition of a secondary suite within or in addition to a side-by-side duplex is not permitted.






Secondary suites
are only permitted in designated land use districts and only allowed on a parcel that contains a single family home. The land use designation will determine the steps needed to apply for a secondary suite
. A building permit is always mandatory in all cases.



Read the full article here.
 

Ally

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Cities with lenient land use policies escaped housing bubble




Zoning policies aren`t typically controversial and generally just ensure that people living in close quarters can enjoy the full use of their land without having to worry about externalities from how others might want to use their land. All cities do this. Noise pollution or infrastructure needs are often factors that lead cities to want to group certain land uses together, for instance. A more controversial use of zoning policies is to artificially restrict the amount of developable land available.




Outside of a few select centres (e.g. New York), population centres in North America don`t tend to be physically constrained relative to their population. As populations increased, so to does the city limit. The term for it is urban sprawl and, over the past couple decades, it became viewed as very wasteful.




Energy and time need to be expended by individuals traveling from home to work and costs related to maintaining public services increase disproportionately when the population is more dispersed (think of public transport and sewers). Environmentalists are also quick to point out the costs aren`t only financial, but also environmental.



Read the full article here.
 

Ally

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Calgary economy to lead the country in 2012





CALGARY - Calgary's economy will regain its place as one of the fastest growing census metropolitan areas in Canada over the next two years, says the Conference Board of Canada.




In its Metropolitan Outlook Winter 2011 edition, the board says "the continued recovery in the energy sector will boost economic growth by 3.7 per cent in 2011 and above four per cent the following year, placing Calgary at the top of the growth leaderboard in 2012."




But the board says Canada's slowing economy will weigh on growth in most of the 27 census metropolitan areas across the country. Only Windsor, Calgary, Oshawa, Regina, Saskatoon, London, Sherbrooke, Winnipeg, and Thunder Bay can expect higher real gross domestic product (GDP) growth this year than in 2010.




Read the full article here.
 
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