Push for legalizing secondary suites planned by U of C student group
More than 100,000 potential suites could boost affordable housing in city, advocate says
Student leaders at the University of Calgary are pushing their peers to get political over the lack of affordable housing in the city.
Members of the Urban Calgary Students’ Association are mounting a month-long campaign to get students to lobby city councillors to legalize secondary suites in Calgary.
Association co-president Mariam Hussain says the change would go a long way to easing Calgary's housing crunch.
“There's actually just over 123,000 secondary suites available, that has not been legalized. This is possible housing throughout the city. It’s really important that we have this legislation passed through.”
Hussain says students could begin by emailing councillors in the wards surrounding the university and urge them to support the initiative.
Kylee Van Der Poorten says she suffered severe "sticker shock" when she first moved to Calgary from Edmonton two years ago.
Since then the U of C student has had to move three times before landing where she is today.
“I have a very student-friendly landlord. But I had to compete for that. It’s made a huge difference in my life, because I can get to and from campus more quickly.”
Student leaders hope to address a city council committee when the issue is debated in December.