The B.C. government plans to incentivize homeowners to build secondary suites on their property with a new three-year pilot program. The Secondary Suite Incentive Program will help homeowners create affordable housing in their communities. The program will provide money to help homeowners create a new secondary suite on their property to be rented out for below market value.
Homeowners who qualify will receive up to 50% of the cost of renovations, up to a maximum of $40,000. The program will provide a rebate in the form of a forgivable loan—a loan that does not need to be repaid if the homeowner follows the terms of the program.
For the loan to be forgiven, the new unit must be located on the same property where the homeowner lives and must be rented out at below market rates, set by BC Housing, for at least five years.
Secondary Suite Incentive Program (SSIP) Resources
BCH-Secondary-Suite-factsheet-English-2023
Learn more general information about adding a suite to your home in the Province of British Columbia’s Home Suite Home Guide
Are you eligible?
The following summarizes the key elements of homeowner and property eligibility for the Secondary Suite Incentive Program.
HOMEOWNERS
- Registered owner(s) of the property
- Canadian citizens or permanent residents
- Live in the property as their primary home
- Combined gross annual income of all homeowners on title of less than $209,420 (in the previous tax year)
PROPERTY
- Located within one of the 161 incorporated municipalities in British Columbia
- Have a BC Assessment value below B.C.’s homeowner grant threshold ($2,125,000 in 2023)
SECONDARY SUITE
- A new legal self-contained unit with a kitchen and full bathroom (improvements to existing rental units are not eligible)
- Laneway homes/garden suite are eligible
- Received municipal building permits on or after April 1, 2023
More info can be found on:
https://www.bchousing.org/housing-assistance/secondary-suite