City acknowledged for its efforts in providing affordable housing

  • 2014-09-18
Mississauga’s city council staff were recently recognized for their efforts in providing increased housing options for locals.

At a ceremony in Fredericton, New Brunswick, the Canadian Institute of Planners awarded the staff with the Social Planning award for working to design and implement the Second Units program.

The purpose of the scheme is to ensure that everyone in the community has access to safe, affordable places to live. This is accomplished, in part, by allowing homeowners to install second units on their properties.

Also referred to as in-law suites or basement apartments, second units help to increase the number of housing spaces, which is vital to the overall health and sustainability of the community.

After a period of research and consultation with the public, the city council approved the plan, and it was implemented on January 2nd, 2014. This is the first phase of the framework labelled as ‘Planning Choices: Mississauga’s Affordable Housing Strategy and Action Plan’.

The second units can be built in townhouses, semi-detached, or detached homes. A licence is required to install one of these apartments, and these can be obtained from the city.

Pamphlets that explain the program and how it works can be used to share this information with people who may be interested in taking part. Brochure printers can create material that contains all the details someone would need to help them decide whether or not to take part in the program.