The City of Calgary says the number of secondary suites in the city has doubled since 2024, thanks in large part to the creation of the Secondary Suite Incentive Program. The program provides qualified homeowners up to $10,000 to cover a portion of construction costs with the aim of helping build, improve and legalize secondary suites. According to the city, the program has helped the number of secondary suites on the city’s registry jump from 13,000 in 2024 to 26,000 today, with half of the suites added having been incentivized through the program. In 2015, Calgary had just 431 registered secondary suites. “This program has been the most efficient and cost-effective way to create thousands of new homes across Calgary,” said Reid Hendry, chief housing officer. “By helping homeowners add safe, legal secondary suites, we’ve vastly increased the supply of market-affordable rental homes in established communities where people already have access to services and amenities.” Calgarians can still apply to the program waitlist, which will see funding disbursed until all the money is gone. The city estimates approximately 7,000 secondary suites will have benefited directly from the incentive program once all contracts are fulfilled and money handed out in mid-to-late 2027.
