Calgary's Secondary Suite Boom: What 26,000 Registered Suites Means for Buyers

Is it still worth adding a secondary suite in Calgary now that the incentive money has mostly run out?

Yes, but it depends on what you're actually trying to do. If you're buying a home that already has a legal suite, this is a good time to be house hunting, there are simply more of them out there than there were two years ago. If you're hoping to build a brand new suite with the city covering part of the cost, that door has mostly closed. Two different situations, two different answers.

Here's what's behind that, and why it matters if you're buying, selling, or already own a suited property.

The number that caught my eye

The City of Calgary announced this month that there are now 26,000 registered secondary suites across the city, roughly double the 13,000 that were registered back in 2024. Go back further and the growth is even more striking: in 2015, there were only 431 registered suites total. Secondary suites now make up about a quarter of all new housing units added in Calgary over the past three years.

A big part of that growth came from the Secondary Suite Incentive Program (SSIP), which the city launched with $45 million in combined federal and municipal funding. It offered homeowners up to $10,000 toward the cost of building and registering a suite, and city staff say roughly half of the newly registered suites since the program started came through it, about 7,000 suites in total.

Josh Howes, the city's Suites Manager, called it "an achievement owned by Calgarians who stepped up," and the city's Chief Housing Officer pointed out that at under $10,000 per suite, it's been one of the most cost-effective ways the city has found to add housing stock. I'd agree with that. I've watched this program push a lot of homeowners off the fence on suites they'd been thinking about for years.

The catch: the incentive money is gone

Here's what matters if you're thinking about adding a suite. As of June 24, 2026, the SSIP stopped accepting new applications outright, it's now waitlist only. The city's language is direct: funding may not be available for anyone who applies after that date, and waitlisted files only get funded if money frees up, first come, first served.

So if your plan was "buy a home, add a suite, and let the city help pay for it," that specific path is much narrower than it was a year ago. It's not gone, you can still join the waitlist, but I wouldn't count on it as part of your financing plan right now.

Worth being clear on the difference between two programs I get asked about a lot:

• The Secondary Suite Incentive Program (SSIP) is the $10,000 construction grant above, and it's been waitlisted since June.
• The Secondary Suite Amnesty Program is a separate thing, a fee waiver and simplified process for legalizing suites that were already built before March 2018. That one is still open, but it winds down on December 31, 2026. I wrote a full breakdown of that one a few weeks ago if you're sitting on an older suite that was never registered, Calgary's Secondary Suite Amnesty Is Ending: What Homeowners Need to Know.

Two different problems, two different programs, and only one of them still has money attached.

What this actually means depending on where you're sitting

Buying a home with an existing legal suite: this is good news for you. There are twice as many registered suites on the market pool today than there were in 2024, which means more inventory to choose from if a mortgage-helper suite is part of your plan. My advice hasn't changed here, buy a home where the suite is already legal rather than betting on legalizing one yourself. It's simpler, it's faster, and the lender already knows how to treat the rental income. I go through why in Legal Secondary Suites in Calgary: What Buyers Need to Know.

Buying a home and hoping to add a suite yourself: still doable, still often a smart move for affordability, but plan your numbers assuming you're paying full cost, not counting on the $10,000 grant landing in time. If you want to see how a suite affects what you actually qualify for, that's laid out in Priced Out of Calgary? How a Basement Suite Increases Your Mortgage Approval.

Already own a suite that was never registered: the amnesty program is your window, and it closes at the end of this year, not the incentive program.

One more thing worth noting

This growth happened alongside a lot of noise around Calgary's zoning rules this year, including the blanket rezoning repeal back in July. Suites have kept growing steadily through all of that, which tells me the underlying demand, families needing a mortgage helper, investors wanting a second income stream, isn't going anywhere regardless of which way the zoning debate swings next. That's the long game I always tell clients to focus on.

Q&A

How many secondary suites are registered in Calgary right now?

About 26,000 as of August 2026, up from roughly 13,000 in 2024 and just 431 back in 2015.

Is the Secondary Suite Incentive Program still accepting applications?

No. It's been waitlist only since June 24, 2026. You can still apply to join the waitlist, but funding isn't guaranteed.

What's the difference between the incentive program and the amnesty program?

The incentive program (SSIP) helps pay to build a new suite and is waitlisted. The amnesty program helps legalize an existing older suite and is still open through December 31, 2026.

Does having more registered suites make them harder or easier to buy?

Easier, in the sense that there's more inventory. It doesn't mean every suite you view is legal, always verify registration before you write an offer.

Should I still build a suite if the grant money is gone?

Often yes, if the mortgage-helper math works for your situation without the grant. It's just a different calculation than it was a year ago, run the numbers before you commit.

Where I land on it

The suite math in Calgary hasn't really changed, a legal suite is still one of the most reliable ways to make a first home affordable or turn a property into a long-term income asset. What's changed is where the city's help is going. If you're buying, the growing supply of already-legal suites works in your favour. If you're building, budget like the grant doesn't exist and treat it as a bonus if it comes through.

If you're trying to figure out which situation you're actually in, that's a conversation worth having before you start looking at listings, not after.

This post is general education, not financial, legal, or tax advice. Program details, funding availability, and deadlines can change, always confirm current status directly with the City of Calgary before making a decision based on them.