Collingwood offers to pay you to add new units to your home
The Town of Collingwood is offering residents a cash incentive to add additional units to their homes.
The Town is relaunching its rapid additional residential unit (ARU) initiative after initially getting off the ground last spring.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
With it, Collingwood is increasing its financial incentives from $5,628.62 to $10,000 for property owners who build an ARU and rent it out year-round for a minimum of five years.
“Adding an ARU can take some investment, but this incentive funding will help address some of the upfront costs and fees related,” said Jack Vanderkooy, Interim Chair of the Affordable Housing Task Force. “By agreeing to rent it out year-round, homeowners will help give our working community or other modest income households struggling to find housing a place to call home.”
ARUs are smaller residential living units that can be within the main dwelling, such as a basement apartment or detached from a home.
“The Rapid ARU Initiative 2.0 is a neighbours-helping-neighbours approach to addressing the affordable housing crisis,” said Collingwood Mayor Yvonne Hamlin. “We’re calling on empty nesters, seniors, new homeowners – or anyone who is ‘over-housed’– to consider how that extra space might help folks in our community who are struggling to afford a roof over their head and could give you a much-appreciated bump in income in these times of rising costs.”
According to the Town, smaller units offer a more affordable housing option and are more frequently rented than primary dwellings.
The Town said The Rapid ARU Initiative includes a design gallery with pre-approved detached ARU designs to offer a faster, easier and more predictable design and permitting process.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre supports Israel 'proactively striking' Iranian nuclear sites to defend itself
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is supporting Israel's right to defend itself against Iran following last week's ballistic missile attack, saying that right includes 'proactively striking Iranian nuclear sites and oil installations to defund the terrorist regime.'
Hurricane Milton strengthens into a Category 5 storm. Florida orders evacuations
Florida's storm-battered Gulf Coast raced against a Category 5 hurricane Monday as workers sprinted to pick up heaps of appliances and other street debris left over from Helene two weeks ago and highways were clogged with people fleeing ahead of the storm.
'Selfish billionaire': Chip Wilson's mansion vandalized after political sign erected outside
Days after a political sign was erected outside Lululemon founder Chip Wilson's Vancouver mansion, the waterfront property has been vandalized with graffiti.
'Feel free to get naked,' witness testifies Toronto councillor told her during 'networking' weekend
Toronto Coun. Michael Thompson 'forced himself on' a woman who awoke to find him standing over her after she fell asleep drunk, the Crown alleged Monday, as the five-day sexual assault trial of the six-term politician began in Bracebridge, Ont.
Is Disney World still open as Hurricane Milton strengthens to a Category 5?
Despite Hurricane Milton evolving into a Category 5 storm, Walt Disney World Resort remains open to the public and will operate as normal. However, the park announced Monday a few closures in an abundance of caution.
Disgraced former Winnipeg football coach sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexual assault
A disgraced Winnipeg high school football coach convicted of sexual assault and luring will spend 20 years behind bars.
Two people injured in apparent road rage incident, shooting in Toronto
Two people are in hospital after they were chased and shot at in what appears to be an act of road rage before eventually flipping their car while trying to escape, police say.
Sammy Basso, longest living survivor of rare rapid-aging disease progeria, dies at 28
Sammy Basso, who was the longest living survivor of the rare genetic disease progeria, has died at the age of 28, the Italian Progeria Association said on Sunday.
Prayers, protests and police as Canada marks anniversary of Oct. 7 Hamas attack
With prayers, protests, and a heavy police presence, Canada has marked the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel that killed about 1,200 people and triggered an ongoing war.