A new online tool is available to help Collingwood residents find out if their home is one of 70 per cent of residential lots in town eligible to house a detached rental unit.
It's part of the town's effors to encourage more rental units in Collingwood to ease the pressure on the rental market and meet the increasing demand for housing.
In a news release sent out on Wednesday, the town announced the launch of ADUSearch in Collingwood, a new addition to the town’s existing rapid accessory dwelling unit program, where property owners can do a search to find out if their land meets the minimum zoning bylaw requirements to build an accessory unit.
The tool reveals that 70 per cent of Collingwood’s residential lots, totalling more than 6,300 properties, may be suitable for detached accessory dwelling unit (ADU).
“ADUs are a key part of a multi-pronged approach to increasing our town’s affordable rental supply,” said Mayor Yvonne Hamlin in the release. “We’re proud to work with the ADUSearch team to help inform our community members of the potential for ADUs right in their own backyards.”
First approved by council in Sept. 2022, the rapid accessory dwelling unit deployment program aims to make it easier and faster for residents to build apartments onto their existing homes, garages, or properties.
The program offers one-window service for a streamlined process, pre-approved detached ADU designs and financial grants to help property owners with start-up costs.
According to the town, there were 20 ADU building permits issued so far in 2023, an increase from the eight ADU permits issued in 2022.
ADUSearch is available in multiple communities across Canada, and uses a neighbours-helping-neighbours approach to address the affordable housing crisis by creating more year-round rentals in communities. The platform provides other information such as the buildable area of the lot.
“We are thrilled to launch ADUSearch in Collingwood and feel the tool is incredibly important for municipalities, property owners, builders, and policymakers at all levels to deal with our current housing crisis,” said Sarah Cipkar, founder and CEO of Resimate, the company responsible for developing and maintaining ADUSearch.
The town encourages property owners to email [email protected] to confirm zoning details.
To access the ADUSearch, click here.
To learn more about the rapid accessory dwelling unit deployment program, including a link to the ADUSearch tool, click here.
