Pre-approved plans for secondary units aimed at boosting Charlottetown's housing supply

Stephen Brun · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 10, 2025 3:27 PM EDT | Last Updated: July 10

Charlottetown assembly is getting immoderate plans drawn up to usage arsenic templates for secondary suites connected properties astir the city. 

The pre-designed blueprints volition beryllium for duplexes, arsenic good as accessory dwelling units — secondary lodging units located connected the aforesaid parcel of onshore arsenic an existing single-family home, sometimes known arsenic plot suites. 

Having templates connected record that are already approved by the city will velocity up operation and chopped costs for builders portion adding to Charlottetown's lodging market, said Coun. Alanna Jankov, seat of the city's readying and practice committee. 

"It's the thought of this 'gentle infill,' meaning that we tin summation density without fundamentally changing the quality of the existing neighbourhoods," she said. 

"Having this pre-approved program successful place... should alteration the outgo for builders, developers oregon conscionable idiosyncratic homeowners to beryllium capable to physique these types of units connected their properties." 

A advisor has been hired to gully up the plans and to make a database of areas successful the metropolis wherever the secondary units would beryllium champion suited. 

Jankov said the extremity end is to person a fewer antithetic plans that are suitable for assorted batch sizes.

Secondary suites a precocious priority

On P.E.I., arsenic good arsenic close crossed the country, communities person been feeling the request to make much lodging for years now.

A lodging situation has gripped Canada's smallest state since earlier the COVID-19 pandemic, with vacancy rates floating conscionable hardly supra zero and location costs having efficaciously doubled successful the past 10 years. 

Money to make the city's pre-approved designs is portion of the $10.2 cardinal Charlottetown received from the national government's Housing Accelerator Fund, meant to assistance municipal governments trim immoderate of the administrative burdens progressive successful creating housing. 

WATCH | Charlottetown is clearing the mode to physique much housing:

A draught of Charlottetown's authoritative program suggests "gentle infill" successful residential areas, which encourages boosting lodging density successful the metropolis by means of secondary suites and semi-detached dwellings.

Council besides plans to promote that improvement by offering $10,000 to homeowners who adhd those accessory dwellings units to their properties.

Jankov said making it easier to physique secondary suites was 1 of the highest priorities the metropolis identified erstwhile officials applied for the national funding.  

"This ready-to-go, pre-approved design… I can't ideate that this would not summation the lodging banal rather quickly."