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A Windsor research team wants to help homeowners and policymakers address a community housing crisis with more information about how and where people can build secondary suites on private properties.
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“(The project) is an interactive online mapping tool that allows users to see if it is physically possible to build an additional dwelling unit (ADU) on their property,” said Sarah Cipkar, one of the principal investigators at ADUSEarch.ca .
And thanks to the $2.2 million funding announced Tuesday by local MP Irek Kusmierczyk (L—Windsor-Tecumseh), what began as a Windsor-based project will soon map and track additional housing units in the 100 largest cities. from Canada.
The project, led by Family Services Windsor-Essex and researchers Cipkar and Frazier Fathers, is funded by the federal Housing Supply Challenge, which provides money for projects that find innovative solutions to Canada’s housing crisis.
Additional (or accessory) dwelling units are small residential units built by owners on their existing property, usually in backyards or alleys, commonly known as granny flats or mother-in-law suites. They have gained popularity since 2018, when the Ontario provincial government began allowing the units to help increase housing supply.
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“Innovative solutions like the one brought forth by Family Services Windsor-Essex and its partners help us understand how additional housing units can help create more affordable housing in our community and across the country,” Kusmierczyk said.
Lets the average homeowner see what’s possible
Last year, Family Services Windsor-Essex was awarded $200,000 to develop the original concept for Windsor, based on data from the City of Windsor with contributions from the Center for Cities and Cross Border Institute.
the result is ADUSEARCH.CA, a website where property owners, researchers, and legislators can find information on where ADUs might be a good fit in the community, taking into account the requirements of zoning statutes.
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The researchers found that more than 29,000 lots in the city of Windsor could host an ADU. If even a portion of those properties had an ADU, Cipkar said that could make a significant dent in the city’s housing supply problem.
“Family Services is really working on the front lines, trying to help those who don’t have access to safe, affordable housing,” said Joyce Zuk, executive director of Family Services Windsor-Essex. “It is exciting for us to now be fully committed to the research aspect of looking to create more affordable housing.”
With the additional $2.2 million in funding, the researchers and partners will expand the project to Canada’s 100 largest cities over the next year and a half. It provides a roadmap for legislators, municipal staff, and even homeowners considering the benefits of adding an additional unit.
“What we hope this tool will do is give researchers the tools to compare (different sets of bylaws) and allows researchers to create better results for their neighborhoods,” Cipkar said.
“It allows the average homeowner to see what is possible.”
Reference-windsorstar.com