Collingwood offers to pay you to add new units to your home

A garden suite can be seen above. (GreggLintern/Twitter)

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.

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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.