The City of Portage la Prairie council meeting was held Monday night, and the topic of secondary suites was discussed. Council noted it's a good trend to see such housing for seniors in our city becoming more popular.
Mayor Sharilyn Knox explains these accommodations are absolutely positive assets.
"In 2019, Council passed a bylaw to deal with this issue so that when these things came to our table, we had the tools in place to be able to make those decisions. We have a housing crisis in our country. We need to have all the different types of options available, and we feel that families, when they have the land and the means, to be able to have a secondary suite for a family member -- whatever they deem necessary -- they need to be able to have that option to come to Council and ask to be able to do that."
The Mayor notes the City is in full support of secondary suites in our community. Knox says the Council has the processes in place and that such living quarters can be provided.
"It's very important that if you're choosing to do it, that you're working with your neighbours. They would want to know what's going on, as we all do. We want to know what's happening beside us and around us. We always find at the table, when applicants are there and talk to us as Council, and give us all the information necessary, that it helps us make those decisions. You can imagine that just seeing things in a report on paper doesn't give us all that we need to know to be able to make decisions. Not only that, but if they talk to their neighbours ahead of time, some of those things are solved before it even comes to Council table."
City Manager Nathan Peto adds it's really important to remember that if you're considering adding such a suite to your property, you must speak to the Portage Planning District.
"Have that discussion as to whether or not it is something that you could do. What are the steps that need to take place to properly pursue that goal? And then if you reach that ability and still want to proceed, we encourage you to speak to your neighbours and talk about your plans. Talk about how it could potentially impact them. Give them the opportunity to bring forward their concerns at the lowest level and, hopefully, you can solve it at the lowest level. Those proposals always have a higher chance of being successful when they come to Council table. Council has to make a decision for the whole community, but, obviously, they always have to give special consideration for the people who are most impacted directly by the property."
The Mayor says this trend is thankfully increasing in Portage.
"I see it in other communities, in our province, and in our country. It's definitely something new that's happening, and I think it's important for people to understand that we're talking 'secondary suite,' which is very different from rental properties. We want people to make sure that they understand what the difference is. I also think that our seniors plan for this province is helping people age in place. This is important and this is absolutely one way that that can happen. We know our care homes and those type of facilities are full. If families have the opportunity to have somebody on their property and living comfortably, I think it's a way of the future, for sure."
She adds a secondary suite must also be owner occupied.
"We're clear on that. You can't have a rental suite and then all of a sudden, a rental house, and then decide you want to add an additional rental property there. That's very different than secondary suites."