Tens of thousands of Calgary homeowners rent out secondary suites — most of them operating outside of the law. City council has been divided on this issue for years, and will soon have to grapple with it again. So, to paraphrase former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, does government have any business in the secondary suites of the city or should this relationship be left to the discretion of consenting owners and renters?

There are many claims for why secondary suites should not be permitted. Some say they bring unsavoury characters into a neighbourhood and lower property values. But a Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) study found that most occupants of secondary suites share similar social values as the neighbourhood they rent in and are looking for quiet, family-oriented neighbourhoods. The truth is, obnoxious, messy, loud neighbours are both renters and owners and can be found in every sort of housing — single family, condo, acreage and, yes, secondary suites.

Overcrowding is another complaint levelled at secondary suites. “We’ll be living like sardines,” people cry. Yet today, half as many people live in twice as much space as we did a generation ago — that’s about one quarter of the density. Surely the issue can’t be too many people. Too many cars perhaps? In fact, modest increases in density coupled with smart transit investment moves us toward fewer cars, not more.

Calgary has a chronic affordability problem. Remember the horrific situation three years ago at the height of the economic boom? Rent increased 50 per cent between 2005 and 2008 — in extreme cases doubling overnight. By 2009, there were 18,000 fewer rental units than in the mid-1990s — mostly due to an aggressive condo conversion trend. In fact, more than 72,000 households spend more than they should on housing; the number of Calgarians who have no roof over their heads or are one paycheque away from homelessness has increased dramatically this past decade.

Calgary needs more modestly priced rental accommodation, and secondary suites are a flexible, affordable way to provide it. For example, a one-bedroom condo rents for about the same price as a three-bedroom secondary suite. Strengthening the argument, CMHC reports that the stock of available secondary suites rises and falls in step with both house prices and rental housing availability and that 30 per cent of homeowners would not be able to afford their mortgage without the secondary suite. Secondary suites bolster that key ingredient of urban sustainability — resiliency!

But if we allow secondary suites in all communities, are we going to be inundated with renters and their cars? Hardly. In Canada’s large cities, 20 to 30 per cent of detached and semi-detached homes contain a secondary suite. Since Edmonton introduced new secondary-suite bylaws in 2000, the uptake has been quite modest, with less than 130 new permits. As of 2010 in Calgary, only 63 units had been approved while 37 were rejected, hardly a radical remake of Calgary neighbourhoods. The sky is not falling! In fact, the data suggest that the majority of secondary suites we will ever see in the city already exist.

The 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness and the Chamber of Commerce are strong supporters of liberalized rules for secondary suites. The 10 Year Plan hopes to provide 2,000 suites over 10 years as a contribution to ending homelessness in our city and proposes requiring that new developments have a percentage of housing secondary-suite ready. The Chamber proposes permitting the suites in every residential neighbourhood.

So, the available research strongly supports the benefits of secondary suites, and respected local organizations have examined the issue and are counselling a more liberal policy. And the kicker is that Calgarians are out in front on this issue. A 2009 survey found that 74 per cent of us support secondary suites in our own neighbourhood. Almost half are not that concerned about parking issues. And even laneway housing — the most contentious form of secondary suites — was supported by 60 per cent of respondents.

Not only do secondary suites increase housing opportunities for Calgarians of modest means, like seniors and students, they also help reduce sprawl and car-dependence by increasing the amount of affordable housing close to transit — all with a negligible impact on our lives.

Oh yeah, that 2009 survey also showed that almost half of us have lived in a secondary suite.

Come on Calgary. In 10 years we’ll look back at this and wonder what all the fuss was about.

Next article: Energy and the city: designing neighbourhoods and homes for a sustainable future.

Geoff Ghitter teaches urban studies at the University of Calgary. geeessgee.blogspot.com. Noel Keough is an assistant professor in the faculty of environmental design at the university, nkeough@ucalgary.ca, and is co-founder of Sustainable Calgary Society.