Gentle Density Across Canada

Our research focuses on accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in major urban centres across Canada. Many Canadian cities received federal Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) funding to increase its housing stock in light of population growth and the housing affordability crisis. We track the types, take-up, and location of ADUs using permit data, and examine provincial and local planning policies and zoning regulations, to provide a foundation for on-going analysis and to encourage municipalities to consider ADUs as part of the solution and to track relevant data.

We conducted a scan of the 63 cities that received federal HAF funding under its “large/urban” stream. We then developed a shortlist based on population size and location across Canada, and with publicly available permit data (issued and closed) from 2014 to 2023. Several additional cities are included to honour their recent work to encourage ADU uptake, despite the lack of available data to-date. The 16 shortlisted cities that were included in this analysis are: Calgary, Edmonton, Guelph, Halifax, Hamilton, Kingston, Kitchener, Mississauga, Moncton, Ottawa, Regina, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Waterloo, and Winnipeg.

What are ADUs?

ADUs, sometimes known as the “Missing Little,” are additional units on a lot already occupied by a main dwelling. They are self-contained units with a kitchen and bathroom, and generally have a separate entrance. ADUs can be attached to the main dwelling (e.g. a basement suite) or a separate, detached unit on the same lot, usually in the backyard (e.g. a laneway house).

Detached ADUs

Detached ADUs are annexes or external suites, usually located at the rear of a detached or semi-detached house or townhouse, and generally smaller than the primary building. They may also be a detached garage conversion, built on top of an existing detached garage, or a newly built independent unit in the yard. The design must meet all building code requirements and other requirements related to access, tree protection, distances to other built structures, and utility hookups.

Attached ADUs

Attached ADUs are attached to a primary dwelling unit. A common form is a horizontal split of a house, in a basement or on a second floor, providing a separate unit(s). Other types of conversions include vertical splitting, rear or side additions, attached garage conversions, or a combination thereof. The design must meet all building code requirements and other requirements related to access, tree protection, distances to other built structures, and utility hookups.

City-By-City Analysis

Select a city from the dropdown list for an overview of municipal policies, charts illustrating the uptake of detached and attached ADUs (2014–2023), and maps showing the locations of the units for the selected city.

Victoria, British Columbia has a population of 91,867 (2021 Census). The City has implemented policies to encourage the development of ADUs as part of its strategy to address housing affordability and increase housing options. Announced in February 2024, Victoria’s federal HAF funds include investing nearly $18 million to support its housing plans, aiming to fast track the creation of more than 900 homes in the next three years, with the potential for over 16,000 new homes by 2034. Its HAF Action Plan encompasses several key initiatives, including zoning bylaw changes to allow up to six units on a typical residential lot without rezoning, such as by waiving public hearings and rezonings for qualifying affordable housing projects, and modernizing the development application process to expedite permit approvals.

The City allows for detached ADUs, also called garden suites, as legal, ground-oriented suites located in the backyard of single-family homes. Garden suites are designed for long-term rental housing and cannot be strata-titled or used as short-term rentals, such as Airbnb. In Victoria, detached ADUs are permitted as-of-right in several zones, including R1-A, R1-B, R1-G, R-2, R-J, and R-K, while attached ADUs, such as secondary suites, are also allowed in single-family detached houses within these zones. The City permits only one garden suite per lot, and properties that already have secondary suites or existing duplexes are not eligible. Overall, the zoning is permissive for ADUs, allowing for the construction of multiplexes, corner townhouses, and heritage-conserving infill housing in traditional residential areas, which allows development of up to six homes on an average residential lot. No additional parking is required for garden suites; however, the primary dwelling must have at least one parking stall, which cannot be in the front yard. The maximum height for garden suites is set at 3.5 metres, with specific setbacks required from lot lines and existing dwellings.

Victoria requires building, electrical, and plumbing permits, with full payment for these permits required at the time of application. The City provides a clear, easy-to-navigate webpage with information about missing middle housing and garden suites, along with online tools such as the interactive Vicmap, which helps residents identify the zone for their property. Additionally, the City provides design guidelines and a "how-to” guide for secondary suites to assist homeowners with the application process.

Provincial Policy

Provincial legislation plays a crucial role in directing municipal policy, and sometimes, impactful change cannot happen without provincial direction. While municipalities are encouraging ADUs through changes in zoning, approvals processes, incentives, raising awareness, and more, the importance of provincial policy to encourage and support local adoption cannot be understated. Across Canada, provincial policies vary. Select a province from the dropdown menu to explore its ADU policy.

British Columbia (B.C.) is Canada’s westernmost province, covering 0.92 million km2, and home to 5.65 million people. The province is experiencing a housing crisis: an estimated 23% of renters spend more than 30% of their net income on housing, and 42% spend more than 50% of their net income on housing (Vancouver Sun). The B.C. government has set housing targets, taking a phased approach to implementation with its municipal cohorts, and has already involved a first 20 municipalities (and issued a Housing Target Order for the next 10 that will participate). To combat the lack of affordable housing options, the Province created a new Provincial Policy Manual & Site Standards for small-scale, multi-unit housing that includes secondary suites, ADUs, triplexes, townhomes, and multiplexes. The Province intends to encourage more housing options for low- to middle-income families, and for aging parents and adult children or other family members, to, for example, help pay a mortgage, invest in existing property, and contribute to more long-term rental housing in communities.

Secondary suites under B.C. legislation are defined as “an independent living unit with its own kitchen, sleeping area, and washroom facilities contained within another dwelling.” An ADU is defined as “a self-contained dwelling unit, such as a garden suite, laneway home, carriage house, or garage suite, located on the same legal lot as another dwelling.” All policies and procedures for the construction of a secondary suite or ADU can be found in the Home Suite Home: Guidelines.

Funding for secondary suites and ADUs is attainable through the Secondary Suite Incentive Program (SSIP) for homeowners. The SSIP provides financial assistance to homeowners who wish to build long-term affordable rental units. Homeowners can receive up to 50% on the cost of renovations, to a maximum of $40,000. Money is provided through a rebate for the loan that does not have to be repaid if the homeowner adheres to the terms of the program.