Mayor has ideas to add rental units in Stouffville

Stouffville Sun-Tribune
May 20, 2014
By Sandra Bolan

In order to entice developers to construct rental units, their development charges may get deferred.

The suggestion came from Mayor Wayne Emmerson during a council meeting, during which the region’s report on how to increase purpose-built rental housing in York was discussed.

Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville council approved the region’s principals and recommended before implementation of any suggestions, a staff report go before council.

“It would be a good thing for our town to have some rental accommodations,” Mr. Emmerson said.

“I don’t think you’re going to get 500-unit rental houses at this time, you might get 50 at one time, maybe it’s an old area they’ll redevelop,” he said.

In 2011, the municipality enacted a second suite bylaw.

Second suites are only legal with Whitchurch-Stouffville if homeowners pay the $115 registration fee and ensure the property meets fire, building and electrical codes, as well as zoning and property standard bylaws.

There are eight registered second suites within Whitchurch-Stouffville, according to Karen Ewart, the municipality’s deputy clerk.

There are roughly 32,000 rental units within York Region, which has a population of 1.1 million.

About 40 per cent of those rentals belong to social housing owned by the region or a not-for-profit organization, according to Adelina Urbanski, York Region’s community and health services commissioner.