Lodging home licensing is on the way in Kitchener, but at Monday night’s council meeting (October 30), council took the opportunity to defer the motion to remove restrictions on lodging houses until March 2024.

Councillor Bill Ioannidis introduced the deferral after questioning if fourplex apartments are a better option overall to increase affordability and if a pilot study would be a better approach to roll out licensing.

In response to those questions, at this week's meeting, delegate Phil Marfisi noted how lodging homes differ from fourplex apartments, and that lodging homes do not require much in the way of preparation and can be occupied without additional construction or renovation. Because of this, Marfisi said, lodging homes can be a more economical mode of housing. Marfisi also explained how a lodging house pilot study would not meet the urgency of the crisis and would impede the delivery of this needed housing.

A second delegate, Lynn Intini, presented a description of lodging home residents and how the plan integrates with the city of Kitchener's overall housing plan. She also pointed out that exclusionary zoning bylaws can have human rights implications if it restricts where people can live.

Councillor Scott Davey moved to defer the lodging house motion as nothing would be able to be enacted until the lodging house licensing bylaw was ready anyway. Councillor Jason Deneault agreed with the deferral and noted that by deferring, more research can be done into issues such as short-term rentals that overlap and influence the affordable rental market.

Three councillors were absent from Monday night’s meeting, Councillor Ayo Owodunni, Councillor Debbie Chapman, and Councillor Aislinn Clancy. Councillors Chapman and Clancy were both not at council, but rather at their own campaign event for the recently announced Kitchener Centre provincial by-election on November 30.