Ottawa Tiny Home on Wheels Petition

We, the undersigned, petition the Ottawa Mayor, Ottawa City Council, Ottawa Planning Committee, Ottawa Development Office, Ottawa Building Department, Ottawa Zoning Office & all City Executives, to legalize the occupancy of Tiny Homes on Wheels by amending the current bylaw.

We further ask that Tiny Home on Wheels be permitted not only as secondary dwellings to an already existing residence but as a primary dwelling on vacant properties.

Summary of concerns by the undersigned:

• The current housing crisis makes homeownership unattainable for many with traditional homes.
• Tiny Homes on Wheels are not the absolute solution to the current crisis, but rather a great contributor to the overall solution.
• The versatility of Tiny Homes on Wheels benefits all segments of the Ottawa population. From young adults working towards ownership, parents seeking to ease their children into possession, housing elderly relatives, assisting individuals with disabilities & providing housing in emergency conditions.
• They will assist individuals seeking to change their means of living, from “empty nesters” in large family homes, to homeless persons with limited options
  THOWs will also help to alleviate the challenges of current availability & cost of rental units.
• The allowance of THOWs has gain heavy traction and legislation in the US, BC & east coast provinces. Their allowance across all of Ontario & Canada is only a matter of recognition and time.

CALL TO ACTION

On the path towards including THOWs into the current Ottawa bylaw, we request the following steps be implemented:

• Recognize & acknowledge this petition with the numerous participants, demonstrating the overwhelming demand.
  Form a Committee to move this motion forward, composed of City Councillors, City executives, Engineers, authors of this petition, community partners & Tiny Home builders.
• Commit to expediting this motion, in all efforts and with a sense of urgency. Eliminating all possible barriers, whether procedural and/or legislative.
• Form a plan and set a goal timeline. Moreover, regularly review progress and adjust plans accordingly.
• Become the leading Canadian municipality in the incorporation of Tiny Homes on Wheels & alternative housing solutions.

Direct qualifications & benefits for the City:

• Tax revenue from THOW owners through the permit process & registration
• As stated in the current Ottawa Coach home guidelines, THOWs will also be “a gentle form of intensification, allowing for affordable housing options, on residential properties that are developed.”
• Built to Ontario Building Codes, meeting all City & ESA inspections. Including servicing with current infrastructure in urban areas, and wells/septic systems in the Rurals.
• Optics mitigated by finished skirting installed on the entire bottom perimeter of the THOW, covering the chassis, wheels & axles.