This text is part of the special Real Estate section
The construction of accessory dwelling units in backyards is now authorized by some cities in Quebec to curb urban sprawl. In Sainte-Catherine, an entrepreneur sees it as a solution for housing his employees.
José Abraham Torres spent his entire life in Sainte-Catherine, on the South Shore in the Montreal region, where several members of his family still reside. When he learned that the municipality of Sainte-Catherine was now authorizing sees (UHA) in the yard of an existing property, the entrepreneur jumped on the ball. His idea ? Build a tiny house on his mother’s land, located a stone’s throw from his.
“Initially, I wanted to host my brother there,” he explains. But the vocation of the house has gradually changed and the entrepreneur now plans to use it for future employees of his company.
José Abraham Torres was born and raised in Sainte-Catherine. He is the manager of Maison Granite, a division of the King Granite countertop company, founded by his father after he arrived in Quebec from Honduras more than forty years ago. However, Maison Granite is located in Saint-Rémi, about twenty minutes by car from Sainte-Catherine. The problem ? “Our employees often live in neighborhoods where Latina communities live, in Montreal North or Anjou… To come by car to Saint-Rémi, it sometimes takes them two hours to go and three hours to return,” he laments.
Travel time is such that an ex-employee quit after just one week. Another lasted two months, before finally moving to Saint-Constant, a neighboring town of Sainte-Catherine.
A solution to the housing crisis and more
José Abraham Torres’ tiny house, currently at the design stage (plans and budget), would therefore serve to attract and retain labour. Like him, more than 20 Sainte-Catherine households have taken steps to build a tiny house, add a half-basement or an annex to their main residence, which are some of the options allowed by the Sainte-Catherine bylaw adopted in January 2022.
This type of housing comes with many benefits, explains Marie-Josée Halpin, director general of the City of Sainte-Catherine. “There is more mutual aid and sharing related to the maintenance of the grounds, for example. Often, there will only be a garden, a swimming pool, a parking space, ”she lists. In certain sectors where the population is aging, UHAs also promote intergenerational diversity.
There are also financial advantages: when the main dwelling and the UHA belong to the same owner, the accessory dwelling can then “facilitate access to property” by adding potential rental income, notes Marie-Josée Halpin. This additional income could, for example, help a young family obtain their mortgage.
Soft densification tool
For municipalities, UHAs constitute a strategy of soft densification (adding housing in an already developed district) making it possible to curb urban sprawl. Several Quebec cities are considering embarking on the UHA route or are launching pilot projects, such as in Laval and Longueuil. Elsewhere in Canada, these units have been part of the urban landscape of certain cities such as Vancouver, Calgary or Ottawa for several years.
In Sainte-Catherine, even though the COVID-19 pandemic and the increase in costs associated with construction have put several UHA projects on hold, the machine is well underway. “Because they are built on existing land, these units optimize the city’s infrastructure, such as public transport or green spaces, analyzes Marie-Josée Halpin. Neighborhoods are used for what they already have to offer, not built from scratch. »
The Torres family project—housing employees—remains an exception, however. Welcoming a family member into the UHA is the reason the City Manager hears most often from families interested in this type of housing.
The entrepreneur’s tiny house could accommodate “two people, even a small family”. In the past, José Abraham Torres’ mother has even hosted employees of her son’s company in her own house. “But if it’s in a tiny house at the back of his yard, it will be even better,” rejoices the latter.
This special content was produced by the Special Publications team of the Duty, pertaining to marketing. The drafting of Duty did not take part.