Housing, Intensification & Second Units

The social service agencies of Sault Ste. Marie have adopted a ‘Housing First’ approach, based on the idea that a person’s overall wellbeing cannot be addressed until they have adequate and affordable housing. Since the 19th century, research has shown the inextricable link between health and housing.

There are two core elements of healthy housing:

Adequacy: safe, clean, in reasonable repair; offers basic privacy, security, personal space, and protection from outside elements.

Affordability: as defined by the Canadian and Ontario governments, the acceptable standard for total housing costs should not exceed 30% of gross annual income.

The availability of good housing is also a critical ingredient in attracting and retaining youth, skilled workers, and new immigrants to Sault Ste. Marie.

The Provincial Policy Statement is the strongest housing-supportive document that guides city planning in Ontario. Adequate housing that is affordable and meets the full range of housing needs is considered one policy cornerstone in building stronger Ontario communities. The Province requires all municipalities to permit and facilitate:

Construction of all forms of housing. This means building homes of all physical types, such as single detached, semi-detached, townhouse, and apartment; homes of different tenure types, including both rental and ownership; and homes that include supports for people with special needs such as economic, mobility, and health needs. Mixing different forms of housing in the same neighbourhood provide various benefits to residents, such as enabling them to live in the same place as they age (“age in place”), and providing more vulnerable individuals and families a healthier environment to live in.

Residential intensification and redevelopment. Building upon vacant or underutilized land in areas that are already well-served by existing infrastructure and amenities is now commonly considered the smart way for communities to grow. Rather than accelerating expansion outwards, intensification allows municipalities to use existing infrastructure more efficiently. Residential intensification and redevelopment can also create livelier and more attractive neighbourhoods, which is particularly beneficial for Sault Ste. Marie’s downtown core.

To push forward with these goals, the Province requires municipalities to set affordable housing and intensification targets.

One form of housing the City has recently seen a significant increase in development applications for has been for second units. These are self-contained residential units with a private kitchen, bathroom facilities and sleeping areas, and within dwellings such as a basement apartment or within accessory structures such as above a garage; second units cannot be standalone structures. Common reasons homeowners want to add a second unit to their home are to earn additional income to help with homeownership costs, or to provide a space for their parents or elders to “age in place” and live close together.

Through the Planning Act and the Provincial Policy Statement, the Province recently introduced requirements for municipalities to authorize second units in single, semi and townhouse units both in urban and rural areas. This includes putting in place Official Plan policies and Zoning By-law regulations that clearly and widely support second units.

In fall of 2018, the Shape the Sault team will work on amending our current 1996 Official Plan to support second units. Due to the increased demand in these units both locally and provincially, the City will review the amendments in advance of completing our new Official Plan to allow residents to construct second units for their homes. Please stay tuned for opportunities to share your input.