A new report by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business is looking at how municipal governments can address the housing shortage by cutting red tape.
The CFIB’s “Flushing out the nonsense” report looks at what type of permits and costs are needed for a $20,000 project to convert a half-bath or powder room into a full bathroom in 12 major cities across Canada.
Senior Policy Analyst Duncan Robertson says the national average permitting cost is around $500, with around seven forms required.
He says St John’s came in at $579 for permitting fees, which is the highest in Atlantic Canada. The average for Atlantic Canada was $315.
Robertson says the study puts in perspective how difficult it can be to create a secondary suite in a home.
He says one part of the solution to the housing crisis is to create more secondary units and converting bathrooms is part of that. If the cost is too high and the process is too difficult, that makes that solution “untenable”.
