They need to wake up: Couple frustrated by secondary suite bylaws in Halifax – Halifax [Video]

A Halifax-area couple are calling on the municipality to be more flexible in helping families create affordable housing, after facing roadblocks in building a secondary suite.

For several months now, Josh Powell and Mandy Brown have been trying to secure a new place for their family to live. They and their two young children are currently renting a home in Sackville, but were recently told their landlord is selling the property.

“If someone comes in and buys the house we’re living in tomorrow we could be evicted by next month. And then what do we do?” Powell said.

Powell’s parents live in the Waverley-Fall River area of HRM and have a large enough lot to accommodate a secondary suite.

“They said, ‘You know what? You’re in this situation. You can come build on our lot.’ So I said, ‘OK, that’s great.’ So we checked it out and our two options …