Brampton residents battle over basement suites—which are illegal, apparently
Toronto may want for reasonably priced housing, but over in Brampton, residents are clashing over something this city takes for granted: basement apartments. Since 1998, Brampton has prohibited any new basement suites from being built. That law, however, hasn’t stopped some 30,000 illegal apartments from popping up to meet an overwhelming demand for cheaper digs (not that all basement suites are cheap, mind you). The Ontario government passed legislation in 2010 that requires municipalities to legalize such suites in order to help cut waiting lists for affordable housing, but Brampton hasn’t yet complied. Apparently, some Bramptonites think legalizing the suites will jam residential streets, cause unsightly garbage piles and overcrowd schools. Others believe the battle is drawn along cultural lines, since Brampton’s immigrant communities tend to support legalizing these spaces. We’re betting a new bylaw for basement rentals probably won’t be worked out any time soon, either: according to the city’s website, the new provincial rules came into effect this year, but don’t specify a deadline by which municipalities must change their policy. [Toronto Star]
The traffic thing doesn’t make a lick of sense. Most basement renters in Brampton, many of whom are immigrants or students or both, wouldn’t be able to afford cars/gas and are more likely to use public transit (which in Brampton isn’t all that bad). The “R” word unfortunately is the underlying cause as to why this is still illegal in the city.
In brampton if there was no basement appartments then all the new comers would not have survived. They play a key role in progression of an immigrant. The fact is housing in Brampton and toronto has gone off the roof. An appartment for example in brampton you are looking @ 1200 for 1 bedroom and if you work @ 10.50 which is passed by the govt you can barely eat and live with it. Basement appartments are integral part of GTA they give much relief to house owners and also to new comers which include students. So please city officials help an average John Doe legalise the basement. Make extra property tax and use it for the community.
Basement apartments must be legalized.
Think about it, who doesn’t want new immigrants on thier street?
I smell the bad stink of Racism in the air.
People need to live.
We are all Gods children no matter where we come from.
God Bless