Toronto´s two front doors issue pits neighbourhood character against renters´ dignity, expert says
(The Star Food)

Toronto city council recently opened the door to making it easier for residents to build secondary suites in their homes, just so long as basement or attic apartment doesn’t include a front entrance. In approving zoning changes for secondary suites late last month, council rejected a move by a councillor that would have let homeowners build second front entrances “as of right� at their detached homes and semis to accommodate renters in secondary units. The motion would have meant homeowners wouldn’t need to seek a committee of adjustment variance for the entrance, a process that often means delays.This was shot down primarily because the majority of council supported the view that these changes would impact the “character� or “esthetic� of streets in certain parts of the city.It’s an argument one expert says prioritizes class concerns over the dignity of renters.Sean Galbraith, a private urban planner in Toronto, said for him the issue of front entrances for tenants, as opposed to side or back entrances is “an issue of one’s personal dignity� that shouldn’t take a back seat to concerns about neighbourhood character.“Houses have front doors and that’s the personal entrance to a home. That should include the personal entrance to a basement apartment,� Galbraith said, adding a renter shouldn’t have to “skulk around� a side door or back door to enter their rental space.Read more:Laneway housing begins to take shape under Toronto’s new rulesWhy it’s so hard to get housing into Toronto’s ‘yellowbelt’ neighbourhoods — and how experts say it can be doneMajority of Canadians believe it’s better to own than to rent a home, poll findsGalbraith went on to say concerns by community members and politicians about front door access and neighbourhood character are driven by a form of “NIMBY-ism� that is backed up ...