OCTOBER

Laneway Home Builders Inc.
CHANGING
// LANES
TAPPING INTO THE POTENTIAL
OF TORONTO’S LANEWAYS
BY ELDEN FREEMAN
Toronto is finally poised to embrace laneway housing. In late June,
planning amendments to permit laneway housing in certain zones
in Toronto and East York was approved, a move which has been
hard-fought and a long-time coming.
A laneway house is a small dwelling, at the back of a residential
lot, which is detached from the main house. Its services, such as
water, electricity, garbage, and mail come from the front street that
the primary house sits on, not from the laneway. Used as residences
for family members, or as rental units, these dwellings cannot be
severed and sold separately from the main house, however, and
only a handful of examples of these secondary suites exist in the
city now.
In 2006, the city rejected laneway housing, imposing strict
conditions and making it virtually impossible for most homeowners
to build a separate dwelling in their back alleys. But the bull real
estate market of recent years, which resulted in a housing crisis, in
terms of affordability, is credited with transforming the thinking on
laneway housing, and finally opening city planners’ eyes to creative
housing alternatives.
On June 28, Toronto East York Community Council approved the
vote to amend the city’s Official Plan and Zoning By-law to allow
such laneway suites. The directive means about 250 km of Toronto
laneways, currently lined mostly with garages, could be used as
possible housing projects for houses of up to two storeys high.
The advantages to laneway housing are numerous, and include
increases to the quality of affordable rental housing, allowing
people to stay in pretty, well-established, low-rise neighbourhoods,
intensifying neighbourhoods, and making urban lanes greener,
liveable, and safe. In addition, this form of housing allows people
to live near where they work, shop and play, while also providing
living space for households of varied ages and stages of life.
416-832-5008
lanewaydevelopers@gmail.com
Servicing all eligible areas in the GTA
From concept to completion
we will build your laneway suite
Laneway Home Builders Inc.
is a full service residential construction
company. We specialize in both
residential and commercial construction
with superior craftsmanship. At LHB our
attention to detail and our commitment
to customer service ensure we exceed
client expectations. Our range of work
includes new homes, laneway housing
and commercial projects.
“Let our experienced team of architects,
builders and designers walk you through
the building process step-by-step”
ELDEN FREEMAN M.E.S., AGB, is the founder of the non-profit organization,
The National Association of Green Agents and Brokers (NAGAB).
Mr. Freeman is also Broker of Record at Freeman Real Estate Ltd.
FREEMANREALTY.COM
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